If phasing out the SNCF monopoly will be mandatory in all regions starting in 2023, to comply with European law, the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (PACA) region has chosen to bring forward the deadline.
During yesterday’s session, the regional executive voted for a “public service delegation procedure” for a part of its TER (regional trains). At the beginning of 2020, the region plans to launch calls for tenders for two sets of routes, namely Marseille-Toulon-Nice on one hand, and the lines around Nice on the other.
The timetable will unfold in several phases: (i) selection of the chosen operator for each set in June 2021, (ii) start of operations the following year on the Marseille-Nice route (currently 7 round trips daily), and (iii) in 2024 around Nice (58 round trips on different services). The operator winning this set will be required to carry out new maintenance installations at Nice Saint-Roch, a facility deemed “essential.”
The contracts will be signed for ten years and represent an estimated value over the period of about 1.78 billion euros.
Eight operators, including two French ones, have already expressed their interest.
The PACA region dedicates 285 million euros annually to its rail transport. Opening up to competition will allow public money to be “recovered” without “eliminating any line or station,” commented Renaud Muselier.
