The South Region inaugurates the first regional trains open to competition in France

Friday, February 14, Philippe TABAROT, Minister for Transport, Céline CARON-DAGIONI, Government Adviser – Minister of Equipment, Environment, and Urban Planning of the Principality of Monaco, representative of the Monegasque Government, Renaud MUSELIER, President of the Provence Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region, Vice-President of Régions de France, Christian ESTROSI, Mayor of Nice, President of the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis, Vice-President of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region, and Christophe FANICHET, Chairman and CEO of SNCF Voyageurs, officially launched the new Zou! regional train service as part of the opening to competition.

The South Region is the first in France to have committed to opening its TER (regional express train) services to competition since 2019. Since December 15, the Cannes-Nice-Menton line service has been enhanced and entrusted to the operator Sud Azur, selected following a tender process. Thus, the new offer includes:

• A train every 15 minutes during the day, from 5:45 am to 10:00 pm, to improve service on the Côte d’Azur, along the coast between Cannes, Nice, and Menton.
• Extended hours on Saturday to Sunday nights with trains running until 2 am.
• Modernized equipment with renovated and comfortable trains, equipped with the latest technologies, including 22 refurbished trains costing 164 million euros, fully funded by the Region.
• Enhanced customer service: clearer and more accurate traveler information, as well as personalized assistance.
• A new supervision and maintenance center located in Nice for better coordination and local responsiveness regarding lines and schedules to facilitate travel, at a cost of 62 million euros, fully funded by the Region. With the South Region, a total of seven regions in France are engaged in the procedures to open their TER network to competition. The law requires all TER lines to be opened to competition by 2034.

“I am very pleased to see this project, launched with Renaud MUSELIER as Vice-President of Transport for the Region, come to fruition today, nearly 10 years ahead of the obligation for regions. Opening up to competition is a powerful tool to improve service quality for users, which I have placed at the center of my actions as Minister. I hope that the pioneering experience of the South Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region can be useful to other regions as we approach the 2034 deadline,” said Philippe TABAROT, Minister for Transport.

“The Principality remains deeply committed to developing the TER service for our workers and visitors, but also, and above all, to supporting, in perfect collaboration with the French authorities, the future of mobility in the service of our territories and users,” said Céline CARON-DAGIONI, Government Adviser – Minister of Equipment, Environment, and Urban Planning of the Principality of Monaco.

“It is here in the South Region that the first train opened to competition is running. And we already have results: +10% in ridership thanks to the offer shock, 97% punctuality of our trains. Promise kept: a higher-quality, more punctual transport service that better meets the needs of users. Thanks to Minister TABAROT for his commitment to our territories and mobility,” said Renaud MUSELIER, President of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region, Vice-President of Régions de France.

“I am delighted that the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region is the first in France to have committed to opening its regional express train services to competition, for the benefit of users. The benefit of public transport users has always been a strong choice of the public policies I have led. This involves strong investment policies but also secure transportation. This is why, particularly on our metropolitan network, I have requested that Ligne d’Azur increase its control and security staff by 34%,” said Christian ESTROSI, Mayor of Nice, President of the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis, Vice-President of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region.

“We are immensely proud to have been chosen as the operator of the Nice rail hub by the South Region. With SNCF VOYAGEURS SUD AZUR, we are now opening a new chapter in the history of rail in France. Together with the South Region, we are building the future of regional transport, serving the territories and their residents,” said Christophe FANICHET, Chairman and CEO of SNCF Voyageurs.