La SNCF is not alone in suffering delays in the delivery of rail equipment fromAlstom. Indeed, Transdev Rail Sud Inter-Métropoles will only have 8 Omeo Premium trainsets out of the 16 ordered to start operating the TER line Marseille–Toulon–Nice on 29 June. This delay in production at the Valenciennes workshops means that this new regional rail operator will have to lease - via the SNCF - Regiolis and Regio 2N trains to other regions with some availability, i.e. 3 trainsets to the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, 8 to the Grand Est local authority and 1 to the Centre Val-de-Loire region. Transdev, which did not wish to take over the Corail trains currently used by SNCF because of their advanced age, is expected to demand penalties from Alstom to compensate for this situation during the first few months of operation.
A regular service with 14 daily return trips planned to date
Awarded at the end of 2021 by the Sud Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur region, this contract was the first won in the region by an operator other than SNCF. Transdev has put a number of arguments on the table, including the construction of a maintenance site in Nice and the €250m order for 16 double-decker Omeo Premium trains, which are more comfortable and have a capacity of 401 seats, and offer additional on-board services including wifi, places for bicycles, electrical sockets and, by the end of 2025, a snack bar. More importantly, At the time, Transdev undertook to double the number of services offered compared with the current 16 return trips per day on weekdays and 17 on Saturdays. Now that ticket sales have just opened, these departures, which will take place almost every hour, are scheduled between 5.57am and 9.57pm from Marseille Saint-Charles, and between 5.34am and 9.10pm from Nice SNCF station. Train ticket sales channels Zou!the generic name for the transport offer in the southern region, are the following sites SNCF Connect and TER SNCF Sud Provence Alpes Côte d'Azurpoints of sale Zou!in-station vending machines and approved travel agencies.
The challenges of taking over a line from SNCF
In addition to the delay in the delivery of the trains, Transdev is said to be encountering other difficulties in its preparations to take over the Marseille-Nice line. And first of all in the recruitment of personnel and more particularly drivers, as the railwaymen currently operating on the line prefer to remain with SNCF because of the many social and salary benefits granted by the national railway company. Last February, Transdev nevertheless stated that it had 77% of the 200 people required to ensure the smooth running of this service, which is being used as a test by the transport group, a subsidiary of Caisse des Dépôts. The group cannot afford to make any mistakes if it wants to win other lots in the calls for tender issued by the regions as part of the opening up to competition by 2033.
The drivers already recruited and being trained on the first trainset received from Alstom will have to juggle with delays in the delivery of the rolling stock, as well as the diversity of the latter, which in the first few months will comprise Omeo Premium, Regiolis and Region 2N trainsets. Under these conditions, it is not certain that Transdev will be able to meet its targets. 97% of regularity expected compared with 84.7% in 2024, one of the worst results among regional TER networks. " We will be ready" a representative of Transdev. " With four training sessions already held for drivers, the line is about to get under way with qualified teams ready to guarantee reliable, safe and efficient journeys. Thanks to this link, travel between these two major cities will be smoother, with a punctual and regular service." the group promises.
