It is a game that will be examined closely. This Sunday, June 29, in the morning, Transdev (who has just passed under the German pavilion) will roll its “Zou” trains on the TER line between Marseille and Nice through Toulon. For the first time, a private competitor of SNCF travelers will operate a strategic regional line in the context of opening to the competition imposed by the European Commission.
Why is it important?
This is the regional line that most difficulties know In France with a punctuality rate of 84.7%, the lowest in all Ter’s networks, while it is very popular. Waiting from the region, but especially customers, therefore, is very strong.
For the sector, it is also a school case that will serve as a comparison base for other regions where calls to tenders are underway.
Call the tenders won by Transdev for ten years, one of the only ones won by a historical operator competitor at the moment.
A real gain for users
The promise made by Transdev, which convinced the region, is to double the number of daily trips in the line with a regularity rate of 97%, particularly thanks to 16 new premium omneo trains, ordered in ALSTOM for 250 million euros and a new almost Nice maintenance center (financed by the region).
Therefore, fourteen daily trips of the round trip against seven with SNCF travelers, one train every hour and even 16 links per day on weekends.
Enough to end, at least theoretically, with gums crowded, even more in summer, when vacationers in swimsuits classify workers who are going to Nice, for example.
To achieve this frequency, Thierry Mallet, CEO of Transdev, explains to trust “a very decentralized organization, decisions are made as close as possible to the field and we have established a team that will succeed in delivery as we do daily in Germany.”
The new trains also represent a blessing in front of the ancient oars, 40 -year -old corals, bad corals, poorly conditioned, which circulated before.
110 meters long, can accommodate up to 400 traveled travelers and 730 if two trains are coupled. They can reach 200 km/h, but the maximum operating speed will be 160 km/h.
There will be more integrated luggage spaces, free Wi-Fi, an entertainment portal on board and a catering space, 12 bicycle spaces, a single plant shipment for people with reduced mobility.
Customer safety is also reinforced with private security agents equipped with Potel cameras, in addition to a on -board video protection system.
In terms of prices, Transdev promises not to increase those applied by SNCF travelers and even reduce those of subscribers, a request from the region that recalls that it sets service prices within the framework of the agreement.
A complicated beginning
Transdev is a global transport giant, especially with buses and buses (113 networks only in France), but also trains in six countries (especially 58 regional lines in Germany). However, the operator faces intrinsic difficulties in the sector.
You will not be able to start with all the new trains ordered in Alstom, which had to be contractually operational at the beginning. But as in several contracts, Alstom suffers production delays: only half of the new trains are available for this launch.
“The Delivery Plan in the Nice Deposit extends between October and November to reach the 16 trains planned in the contract no later than 2025,” he continues.
Meanwhile, Transdev will rent eight trains to other regions, which makes the SNCF unions believe that the public company does not have to help a private competitor.
Sud Rail explains that to “help Transdev, the regions will go and resort to the SNCF team. A real scandal. This borrowed team will have SNCF trains.”
Fabien Villedieu of Sud adds: “I am talking about teams from other regions, such as the offer of Ter in Auverne-Rhône-Alpes, keep in mind) that the SNCF is forced to separate to help its Transdev competitor not sink in June.”
Trains rented to other regions, made by unions
Remember that the regions are owners of rolling stocks, therefore, they can, in theory, provide or transfer trains for solidarity. But in view of the growing frequency in France, there is not really a margin, he believes.
“Transdev does everything possible to fulfill its commitments regarding its rental rental rental region that does not reduce the transport offer in the original equipment regions in the original equipment regions,” withdraws the operator to the BFM business.
However, heterogeneous rolling equipment implies risks, especially breakdown. And also the training, since transdev drivers are not empowered to drive various types of trains.
Especially because these drivers were difficult to find. The law imposes on the railway workers of the SNCF concerned with a change of operator (as here) to be transferred to the new operator, but only if they worked more than half of the time in the transferred line.
However, a minority of them was in this case, the transfer is made, therefore, is carried out on the basis of volunteering. And a large majority refused to be transferred to Transdev, which certainly offers the maintenance of net salary, but the least attractive benefits than those of the SNCF (especially for drivers in the state).
Transdev tells us that “210 employees will be welcome within the Transdev Rail South Inter Metropolises company. Among these workforce, 44 will be drivers, 20 will have the responsibility of railway maintenance and 75 will be responsible for the relationship with passenger customers.”
Do bus drivers go to the train?
To have the desired number of drivers, according to our information, the company resorted significantly to its bus drivers, since its own workforce in France.
TransDEV defies any training with a discount and highlights its own rail training organization, trained to train trains drivers and personnel in charge of security tasks.
However, a union source is surprised by the success rate for the Transdev recruits driving examination, which would be 90%, while only 60% in the SNCF.
Finally, the last risk to take into account this beginning, the youth problems of trains that are always observed during the beginnings of commercial traffic. The lack of experience of drivers could amplify these difficulties.
Source: BFM TV
