The state relaunched competition this Friday for the Intercités Nantes-Lyon and Nantes-Bordeaux trains, which it had stopped at the end of 2020 when the SNCF was the only candidate.
“Due to the health emergency, it was not possible to conclude the competition procedure for the award of the management contract for these two lines”, explained the Ministry of Transport in a statement. The government then recalled the “economic difficulties encountered by railway operators following the health crisis” and “the absence of a reliable prospect of recovery of traffic”, two factors that prevent, according to him, “fair and equitable competition”, such as to “guarantee the best service to the user at the best price”. Once interested, the operators Arriva (Deutsche Bahn group), EuroRail and Transdev had decided not to bid, leaving only the SNCF in the race.
Operation possible from 2027
The new version of the call now provides for “candidates to propose an optional offer for the development of a link between Nantes and Lille” which would pass through Angers, Le Mans, Caen, Rouen and Amiens, the ministry specified. This new line will be launched, or not, “depending on the result of the offers received”. “The start of the activity by the new contract holder is scheduled for 2027”, once the winner of the tender has been designated.
The Intercité, officially known as “territorial balance trains” (TET), are subsidized by the state, which has announced its intention to develop its own network. They must be managed by SNCF until 2031, but the agreement signed in March with the company provides that part of the lines will be progressively opened to competition by that date.
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In parallel, several regions have already begun to open their TER trains to competition, organized as for the Intercités by the 2018 railway law. The Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region has already awarded two “lots” after having awarded contracts, Paris-Toulon- Nice to Transdev and the “Stella Nizza” to the SNCF. The procedures – more or less advanced – are underway in the Grand Est, Hauts-de-France, Ile-de-France, Pays-de-la-Loire and Bourgogne-France-Comté.
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