FRANCE: Incumbent SNCF Voyageurs has beaten Spain’s RENFE and high speed start-up Le Train to win the government’s first tendered contract for the operation of Intercités services on the conventional rail network.
The contract announced on January 28 runs for 10 years from December 2026. It covers the Nantes – Lyon and Nantes – Bordeaux routes, which share a depot in Nantes.
A first attempt at tendering in 2019 was cancelled after the process was impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and SNCF Voyageurs was the only bidder.
A new tender was called in 2022. The government said SNCF Voyageurs had made the best proposals to improve service quality, train frequencies and ridership, and also the most competitive financial offer with sales expected to cover 75% of the services’ costs.
SNCF Voyageurs will create a dedicated subsidiary for the two routes, and contractor NGE will build a dedicated maintenance centre in Nantes by 2030.
The Nantes – Bordeaux services will be increased to five daily return trains, and six on Fridays and Sundays when ridership is highest.
The current service of three daily return trains on the Nantes – Lyon route will be retained, with an increase in capacity.
The current common fleet of 15 Alstom Coradia Liner trainsets introduced in 2017 will be retained. Their capacity will be increased, while the onboard amenities including catering and wi-fi will be modernised.
The government now intends to call tenders for a contract to operate Intercités services on the Paris – Clermont-Ferrand and Paris – Limoges – Toulouse routes.
- Le Train CEO Alain Getraud and Deputy Catherine Pihan-Le Bars set out their plans to enter the French rail market in an interview with Railway Gazette International.
