The Ministry of Transport, headed by Clément Beaune confirmed on 26 October at a steering committee meeting organised by the Préfecture du Grand Est: the Metz-Nancy-Dijon-Lyon line will reopen by early 2025s winter service, probably to coincide with the introduction of the SNCF in December 2024. This is a great relief for the local authorities in the area, who have been campaigning for years for this service to be reinstated, after it was withdrawn in 2018 when work was carried out in the Lyon Part-Dieu stationforcing passengers to make the long 5.5 hour journey via Strasbourg. " It's what residents and economic players want" congratulated Mathieu Klein on the X network (formerly Twitter).
Two return trips a day
In concrete terms, two daily round trips will be scheduled in 4h15 or 4h30 between Metz and Lyon, with stops in Nancy, Toul, Culmont-Chalindrey and Dijon. The link will not be operated by SNCF TGVs but by Alstom Coradia Liner TER trains on loan from the Grand Est region.. They will be used until 2029 date on which the introduction of a Regional balance train (TET) is planned, with new trainsets to be ordered for this project.
The Grand Est Region puts its hand in its pocket
The reopening of this line has been made possible by the commitment of the Grand Est Region to cover 50% of the operating deficit alongside the State. As explained, the Region will also be providing SNCF with the trains for the next four years.
