The transfer to the private group Transdev of the operation of the TER Marseille-Toulon-Nice line, to the detriment of the SNCF, will have "
no consequence
" on the prices for users, assured Tuesday the president (LR) of the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region, Renaud Muselier.
"
The stake is that the taxpayer benefits from it
", insisted Renaud Muselier during a press conference at the regional hotel, adding that the pricing policy will continue to favor the subscription while the "
ticket unique
”will be more expensive.
Read alsoRATP and Transdev to win back lost travelers
"
We have closed zero stations, zero lines, and we have not increased prices,
" noted Renaud Muselier, highlighting "
a strong net benefit for those who take the rail
".
In Germany, where Transdev is the number two rail operator, "
the choice of communities was not to lower prices
", noted its CEO Thierry Mallet, "
on the other hand it cost the community less
" .
First line lost for SNCF
Thierry Mallet highlighted the doubling of the number of trains between Marseille and Nice, with more spacious and comfortable cars (with wifi, USB sockets and wider seats in particular), and promised "
a 40% reduction in delays
”. This is officially the first time that the SNCF has lost the operation of a rail line in France to a private group, the region having excluded it from this lot on Thursday in a vote described as "
historic
" by its president.
Friday, more than a thousand railway workers had demonstrated in Marseille against the "
dismantling of the public rail service
". Transdev should be transferred 160 railway workers from the SNCF, wishing to focus on "
volunteering
". The loss of this lot was "
a shock for the company
", acknowledged Tuesday Christophe Fanichet, CEO of SNCF Voyageurs. Its “
Azur
”
subsidiary
was awarded the contract for the operation of the links between Les Arcs / Draguignan (Var) and Vintimille (Italy), as well as the Nice-Tende and Cannes-Grasse (Alpes-Maritimes) lines, where the public company was alone in the running.
The region was "
a dissatisfied customer a few years ago
", acknowledged Christophe Fanichet, "
but we have raised the bar
".
Faced with the competition, SNCF Voyageurs promises in particular a train every 15 minutes between Cannes and Menton, with a target of 50% more travelers on this “
azure
”
lot
: “
these are as many cars less on the roads
”, he added. remarks Mr. Fanichet.
SNCF has also promised “
renovated
”
trains
, with more comfort and safety on board.
SNCF Voyageurs and Transdev are planning the construction of maintenance sites in Nice.
Read alsoThe SNCF hit by the end of its monopoly
While the region had "
the worst rail in France
" when the right came to power in 2015, according to Renaud Muselier, it now boasts of being "
the first
" on the subject of openness to competetion.
For the Marseille-Toulon-Nice line, the change of operator will be effective from July 2025. This link concerns 10% of regional traffic in terms of the number of trains offered.
The 10-year concession contract is estimated at 870 million euros.
Of this amount, the region will commit 275 million euros for the purchase of 16 new trains and maintenance work.
