The State, the Region, and local authorities signed the transport section of the State-Region Plan Contract (CPER) 2021-2027 in Marseille at the beginning of the week. This is a total investment of 1.8 billion euros, aimed at modernizing daily transportation and preparing for the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2030.
On November 3, at the prefecture of Marseille, several representatives of the State and local authorities signed the transport section of the State-Region Plan Contract. Philippe Tabarot, Minister of Transport, Georges-François Leclerc, former prefect of Nice, Renaud Muselier, president of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region, and Martine Vassal, president of the Bouches-du-Rhône department and the Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolis, formalized a joint commitment. Jean-Marie Bernard, president of the Hautes-Alpes Departmental Council, was also present.
This addendum brings the total regional transport investments to 1.8 billion euros. It is part of the perspective of the 2030 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, but it also aims to meet sustainable needs. All departments of the region are concerned.
Three main focuses structure this plan. The first concerns the opening up of the Alps, with 532 million euros dedicated to the modernization of the Marseille–Briançon line and the renovation of stations. The second aims to improve road access to the industrial and port area of Fos and the Étang de Berre, with 210 million euros in investments. Finally, more than one billion euros will be allocated to the modernization of daily transport: renovation of secondary railway lines, refurbishment of stations, freight development, road improvements, and the creation of cycling paths.
“This addendum constitutes an unprecedented investment for transportation in our region. It formalizes the various agreements and commitments made to support the Region in the necessary investments in transport infrastructures, both for the organization of the 2030 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games and for the improvement of the access to the Fos area, essential for its competitiveness. The State is on board, alongside the Region and all the committed municipalities and operators to continue the transformation and equip the southern region with transport infrastructures that meet its challenges,” stated Philippe Tabarot.
From the coast to the mountains: a large-scale transformation
The implementation agreement signed for the Bouches-du-Rhône department alone provides for nearly 900 million euros in projects. It involves the State, the Region, the Metropolis, and the Department. Several priority operations are announced: the regeneration of the Blue Coast line, the creation of the Arles multimodal exchange hub, the modernization of the Aix branch of the Alpine line, the development of railway freight at Fos, Arles, and Miramas, and the continuation of the Zero Smoke Stopovers plan at the port of Marseille-Fos. The creation of an offshore wind power sector completes the plan.
For Renaud Muselier, this commitment reflects a desire for concrete solutions: “all the projects we are launching today are concrete and close responses to the planning needs of territories and the mobility of residents. These are not promises for 10 or 20 years, but projects that are mostly already in operational phase. We are dedicating an exceptional financial envelope, significantly increased by the Winter Games 2030.”
Martine Vassal, for his part, emphasized the importance of local dialogue: “the consultation on the Fos–Étang de Berre industrial-port zone revealed expectations, concerns, and proposals from the local actors. In the face of mobility and quality of life challenges, concrete solutions are being implemented. This signing shows that cooperation between municipalities drives the territory forward.”
Beyond projects related to the Games, the project opens up perspectives for the coming decade. The vice-president of the Regional Council, Jean-Pierre Serrus, discusses the establishment of a regional express network connecting Marseille, Nice, Aix-en-Provence, and the Southern Alps: “we want a large network, like around Paris, Madrid, around major capitals. Ultimately, we will no longer question the schedules, but simply the routes between connections.”
The Olympics as an accelerator
The 2030 Winter Olympic Games act as a catalyst for these infrastructure projects. In the Hautes-Alpes, the president of the Departmental Council, Jean-Marie Bernard, sees it as an opportunity for his territory: “the department is served by a railway and a major national road. Today, the effort is made with this perspective of the Olympic Games to allow us to develop the railway between Marseille and Briançon, to cover both the territories of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and all the stations in the department with more frequent train frequency and a travel time reduced by an hour to 1h30.”
The modernization of the Marseille–Briançon line is set to reduce travel time to around 3h30 by 2035. Along the Mediterranean coast, the new line between Marseille and Nice will also save about twenty minutes on a trip of over three hours…
