A historic step!
On June 30, Renaud Muselier, President of the Région, and Thierry Mallet, CEO of Transdev, launched the new ZOU ! train service...
This new offering integrates a fleet of new-generation trains running since June 29 between Marseille, Toulon, and Nice, which is a first in French railway history. The fleet of 16 trainsets is manufactured by Alstom at its Crespin site in Hauts-de-France, certified 'Origine France Garantie'. The acquisition of the trainsets was funded by the Région to the tune of €250 million. Each 110-meter trainset accommodates 400 seated passengers and up to 730 in a double-trainset configuration. These trains are 100% powered by green electricity.
REGULARITY
To ensure their maintenance, a 2,000 m2 site was built in Nice by the NGE group, using an eco-responsible approach, financed with €40 million by the Région Sud. It allows high-quality maintenance and maximum availability of rolling stock, which is essential to the promised regularity of 97.5%. The maintenance sites and trainsets were financed with €130 million by the Banque des Territoires. 'Today marks a historic step as we launch the opening of our regional trains to competition. We are the first Région in France to have opened our regional trains to competition. This project embodies our desire to offer a more ambitious public service with, on this route, a doubled train service and unchanged fares, which will decrease by 20% from July 1, 2025. More reliable and sustainable trains, always at the service of users,' declared Renaud Muselier. 'By entrusting Transdev with the management of this line, the Région Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur offers us the opportunity to demonstrate what we do best: bringing people and territories closer together by delivering a reliable, comfortable, and human transport service,' specified Thierry Mallet. He added: 'Armed with our expertise and railway know-how developed over more than 25 years in Germany, Sweden, or even New Zealand, our teams are ready and proud to be part of this historic change.' For his part, Jean Bernadet, President of NGE, specified: 'We are extremely proud to have participated in this benchmark of sustainable mobility for the Région Sud thanks to the maintenance and storage center we built. The latter will ensure controlled and optimized maintenance in covered premises adapted to the maintenance of new-generation trains. This achievement fits perfectly into our strategic plan for the ecological transition.'
In the presence of: Simon BABRE, Prefect of the Var, Jean-Louis MASSON, President of the Département, Jean-Pierre GIRAN, President of Toulon Provence Méditerranée, Mayor of Hyères, Geneviève LEVY, Deputy Mayor of Toulon, representing Josée MASSI, Mayor of Toulon.
Competition makes it possible to double the service on the coastal route:
• 1 train every hour on weekdays: 14 round trips, 16 on weekends and 1 train per hour, • Expanded operating hours: from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., • 9 stations served: Marseille Saint-Charles, Toulon, Carnoules, Les Arcs Draguignan, Saint-Raphaël Valescure, Cannes, Antibes, Nice Saint-Augustin and Nice-Ville (travel time 2h40), • Unchanged fares for subscribers with a 20% reduction, • Creation of more than 180 direct jobs (drivers, maintenance mechanics...), • More than 92,000 tickets sold before the launch of the line on June 29. A train made in France and eco-responsible.
Photos by Philippe OLIVIER.