{"id":161435,"date":"2023-11-06T12:03:57","date_gmt":"2023-11-06T11:03:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.voyages-d-affaires.com\/?p=161435"},"modified":"2026-01-15T16:11:43","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T15:11:43","slug":"regions-timidly-opening-up-to-competition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.voyages-d-affaires.com\/en\/regions-timidly-opening-up-to-competition","title":{"rendered":"The Regions shy away from opening up rail services to competition"},"content":{"rendered":"

L'French regional lines open to competition<\/strong> has also been on track since December 2019<\/strong>and the covetousness of Transdev <\/strong>(a subsidiary of Caisse des D\u00e9p\u00f4ts et Consignations), RATP Dev Rail, R\u00e9gioneo (a joint venture between Getlink and RATP) and others. Arriva <\/a>(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-C\u00f4te d'Azur, Hauts-de-France and Grand Est, are all hoping for a \"win\". positive impact <\/strong>of this opening via a increased transport services and comfort<\/strong> for users by ordering new trains<\/strong>. However, most regions will wait for themaximum expiry date of 1 January 2033 <\/strong>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 <\/strong>for ten years. The Burgundy-Franche-Comt\u00e9<\/a> 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-Sa\u00f4ne-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<\/strong> of \u20ac30m per year and a commitment to service quality<\/strong>. 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Southern Region, the first local authority not to retain the SNCF <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In October 2021, the South region was the first to vote to award Transdev <\/strong>from TER <\/strong>of the line Marseille<\/a>–Toulon<\/a>–Nice <\/a>which is due to start operating inSummer 2025<\/strong>. In Hauts-de-France, four lots will be open to rail competition between now and mid-2010.2026<\/strong>The 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<\/strong>. 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<\/strong> 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 <\/a>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<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n