Strengthening rail mobility between Grasse, Cannes, and Ventimiglia: two new trains to better serve the Principality

SNCF Sud Azur has been the new operator since December 15, 2024, designated by the Region following a tender process, for the TER lines in the Azur sector (Les Arcs-Menton and Grasse-Cannes La Bocca-Vintimille), with ambitious goals of 98% punctuality and capacity compliance.

These two additional trains, each with a capacity of nearly 500 seated places (about 1,000 people in total), will be assigned to the rolling stock serving the Principality in order to strengthen the peak-hour transport plan (4 long trains in the morning and evening between Cannes and Monaco) and to schedule traffic every 15 minutes throughout the day (124 TER/day in both directions to Monaco).

Their acquisition contributes to the shared objective between the Region and the Principality to improve the rail service to the Monaco Monte-Carlo station, the third busiest station in the region in terms of TER traffic with 8 million passengers in 2023 (+20% in the first 7 months of 2024). Its traffic is steadily increasing, and the TER is the most important alternative to the use of private vehicles, allowing workers and visitors to access Monaco.

The maintenance and upkeep of these two trains, which should be put into service in the second quarter of 2027, will take place at the new maintenance center in Nice Saint-Roch rather than in Marseille, thus reducing the downtime of the equipment.

It is within the framework of the close partnership between the Principality and the Region that Monaco has joined the Region’s order for the acquisition of two trains, with funding provided to Sud Azur through a lump-sum grant of up to 40.4 million euros. The commissioning costs will be financed by the Region.