L'French regional lines open to competition has also been on track since December 2019and the covetousness of Transdev (a subsidiary of Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations), RATP Dev Rail, Régioneo (a joint venture between Getlink and RATP) and others. Arriva (a DB subsidiary) keen to cut SNCF's teeth. Indeed, the regions or the State can launch invitations to tender for lines at the end of current contracts with SNCF. The local authorities involved in this process, including Alpes-Provence-Côte d'Azur, Hauts-de-France and Grand Est, are all hoping for a "win". positive impact of this opening via a increased transport services and comfort for users by ordering new trains. However, most regions will wait for themaximum expiry date of 1 January 2033 set by European rules for launching these calls for tender. Several entities, such as the Occitanie Region, have opted to renew their agreement with the SNCF for ten years. The Burgundy-Franche-Comté is playing both ends against the middle. Backtracking in January 2022 on the total and rapid liberalisation of all its TER lines, the local authority preferred to open up a single batch of Dijon-Nevers and Dijon-Chalon-sur-Saône-Macon lines in January 2027, and to renew its agreements with the SNCF on the rest of the network in exchange for a reduced expenses of €30m per year and a commitment to service quality. This setback is explained by the opposition to this liberalisation of the ecologist and communist members of the left-wing majority, as well as the railway unions. The latter are particularly opposed to the reduction in the SNCF's TER contribution, which would be synonymous with staff cuts and the transfer of teams to a subsidiary specifically created by the SNCF or to another rail operator.
The Southern Region, the first local authority not to retain the SNCF
In October 2021, the South region was the first to vote to award Transdev from TER of the line Marseille–Toulon–Nice which is due to start operating inSummer 2025. In Hauts-de-France, four lots will be open to rail competition between now and mid-2010.2026The first contract, known as the "Amiens star" contract, covering 17% of the regional network, was unexpectedly awarded to SNCF for 9 years starting in January. 2025. In order to win the bid, after years of criticism of the carrier's poor service quality, SNCF has also committed to a 26% increase in supply in 2026 with the same rolling stock and the creation of a new maintenance centre. Competing against Transdev and Regioneo, the SNCF has also won the 10-year operation of the 1st tram-train and Sud-Loire lot in Pays-de-la-Loire from December 2024, representing 30% of regional lines. To win, the national railway company has also committed to increasing train capacity by 26% in 2026 and 33% in 2030, as well as creating a maintenance site at Nantes South. The issue of train maintenance is a crucial one for the new operators bidding for these tenders. They fear entrusting their rolling stock to SNCF centres, which could be blocked in the event of a breakdown. strike.
The Grand Est region has launched the first liberalisation of services between Nancy and Contrexéville and between Nancy and Contrexéville. StrasbourgSaint-Dié-des-Vosges and Epinal. But the bulk of the work will be done on the cross-border lines to France.Germany or from Metz, Strasbourg and Mulhouse to towns in the Länder of Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland and Baden-Württemberg. With a possible start to operations by a private operator scheduled to start in December 2024. " For TER services to appeal to passengers and encourage them to abandon the car, operators need to offer a wide range of frequencies, and not just at peak times, underlines David Valence. " They must also diversifying customer bases with leisure passengers, so that we are not just dependent on people who have to travel. Because it is essential to find users to fill empty trains during the day which will not only be achieved with attractive tariffs" continues the Chairman of the Conseil d'Orientation des Infrastructures and Member of Parliament for Vosges. According to the rail reform law, it is important to remember that the regions are responsible for setting TER fares. The result is a multiplicity of tariffs from one region to another. And different banknotes, which are also tending to soar over the last year due to rising energy costs.
Transdev demands full access to data during calls for tender
Despite this initial success in the South of France, and after responding to calls for tenders from the Hauts-de-France and Pays de la Loire regions, Transdev considers it difficult to open up France to competition. " The future of this process will depend on the criteria for opening up the regions and above all on equal conditions for new entrantssaid Alix Lecadre, Director of Rail Services and Business Lines at Trandev, in June at a conference organised by Trainline. The situation varies from region to region. The difficulty lies in obtaining information about the SNCF service so that thefairness in the invitation to tender. In recent procedures, this was not always the case." . Taking the view that the rules are unequal and imperfect under the current conditions, Transdev is being selective and, for example, should not respond to the call for tenders from the Grand Est region because of complex specifications and the absence in the contract of a maintenance workshop for the second (cross-border) lot. " We'll be giving the same thought to future calls for tender. Transdev is not in it to please the regions, as each bid represents a cost of around €3m. Hence the need to balance costs and benefits. "points out Alix Lecadre.
The opening up to competition is now underway in France, with the following benefits for consumers high-speed lines This is an opportunity to demonstrate that it is possible to run more trains, particularly on the high-speed lines. This is an opportunity to show that it is possible to run more trains, particularly on the high-speed lines, as the French rail network is far from reaching saturation point. While the opening up of regional services has been more timid to date, it is set to accelerate between now and the end of 2008. end 2032. In the meantime, passengers will soon be able to appreciate the positive effects in the regions where this liberalisation is being introduced. Because even if SNCF wins the majority of the tenders, the national company is committed to increasing its offer and investing in train maintenance. Pending possible reopening of lines. Finally more trains and better-filled trains says greener travel and a definite contribution to the country's ecological transition.
