Mr Guillaume Pepy, Chairman of the Board of French train operator SNCF, was in the Principality on Friday, January 13, 2017, for an important working meeting with the Minister of State. Discussions focused on improving regional TER train services to and from Monaco.

Several working groups are currently involved in studies aimed at optimising services, including improving the existing Mandelieu-Ventimiglia line in terms of reliability, regularity, capacity, interoperability and speed. The Principality has already contributed €714,250 for preliminary work.

An effort is also proceeding on improving cross-border information systems in PACA, Monaco and the Liguria region of Italy. An audit of services at the Monaco-Monte-Carlo is also underway, towards which Monaco is also contributing.

Further demonstrating its commitment to improving service to and from Monaco, the Principality is participating in the financing of construction work at the Nice-Riquier station to accommodate the new “Régio2N” trains.

Monaco’s focus on rail travel results from the fact that trains carry the majority of employees coming every day to work in the Principality. The Monaco railway station now welcomes more than six million passengers each year, compared to 2.3 million in 1998. In terms of use, it is the second-busiest station on the Côte d’Azur after Nice, and the Nice Ville-Monaco link, constantly increasing in numbers of users, is the busiest segment of the TER line.

On the Nice-Ventimiglia route, Monaco, served by 102 trains a day, is the origin or destination station for more than 43 percent of passengers, of which 67 percent are TER PACA subscribers. (Feature photo: Mr Guillaume Pepy, SNCF Chairman of the Board with Serge Telle, Minister of State. Photo: DC)

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