Overview

• Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur became France’s first region to open regional rail to competition when Transdev launched hourly Marseille–Nice TER services on June 29 under a ten-year, €800 million concession.
• The service is operating with nine of 16 Alstom Coradia Liner trains supplemented by leased SNCF units to help meet a 97.5 percent punctuality target.
• On June 30 approximately 300 railway workers demonstrated at Marseille Saint-Charles against the concession, accusing authorities of fragmenting the public service.
• Unions including CGT, CFDT, FO and SUD have filed a social alarm, lodged a strike notice and announced additional protests in Toulon during the line’s official inauguration.
• Rail workers warn that competition risks “morcelling” the network and say underlying infrastructure flaws remain unaddressed despite liberalization.