SNCF Voyageurs Lands €965 Million Tender for Poitou-Charentes Network

The Poitou-Charentes TER contract has been awarded to SNCF Voyageurs. It covers TER services in the Poitou-Charentes area. The decision follows a tender launched in 2023. It relates to a 10-year contract starting in December 2027. This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

The Poitou-Charentes lot is the first rail package put out to tender by the Region. As the Nouvelle-Aquitaine transport portal notes, this forms part of the opening of regional rail competition. Also, the lot includes six lines. They currently carry around 14,000 passengers per day. The lines are:

• Châtellerault – Poitiers – Angoulême (Line 12)
• Angoulême – Bordeaux (Line 13)
• Poitiers – Niort – La Rochelle (Line 14)
• La Rochelle – Saintes – Bordeaux (Line 15)
• Angoulême – Saintes – Royan (Line 16)
• Niort – Saintes – Royan (Line 17)

For SNCF Voyageurs, the contract represented a strategic opportunity. The company already has strong roots in the region. Its teams worked on a solid, innovative, and balanced bid. The bid was designed to match the Region’s future mobility ambitions for Poitou-Charentes.

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The offer was based on a detailed assessment. It considered the regional authority’s expectations and passengers’ needs. It is intended to meet the tender specifications. In addition, it combines a substantial increase in rail services with high service quality. At the same time, it includes a sustainable economic trajectory.

Dedicated company for the Poitou-Charentes TER contract

According to SNCF Voyageurs, SNCF Voyageurs Terre Atlantique will be the dedicated company. It will be responsible for the Poitou-Charentes services. Also, the company will operate the lines on behalf of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region. The contract period runs for 10 years from December 2027. It will also maintain the 44 trains allocated to the contract.

Meanwhile, maintenance will be carried out at the technical centre in Saintes. The future contract is estimated at 965 million euros.

From December 2027, passengers in Poitou-Charentes will benefit from 22 additional trains every weekday. The increase will meet growing demand for rail travel. Also, it will directly contribute to the region’s appeal and dynamism.

SNCF Voyageurs said this first success in Nouvelle-Aquitaine rewards its teams’ commitment and expertise. It said those teams prepared a robust and innovative service for the Region and passengers. “Through SNCF Voyageurs Terre Atlantique, we will be fully committed to providing the highest quality of service and meeting the demands of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region,” said Christophe Fanichet, President of SNCF Voyageurs.

Nouvelle-Aquitaine TER services through 2030

Separately, at the end of 2023, the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region and SNCF Voyageurs signed a seven-year contract. It covers regional TER services for 2024–2030. That agreement includes a service-quality goal. It aims to reduce delays by 34%. In addition, it aims to increase services by more than 8%. That equals 60 trains per day.

The regional train page states that the agreement provides 513 million euros for investment. The investment covers rolling stock maintenance, stations, and maintenance centres. Also, the agreement aims to increase rail services by 8.2%. That equals 60 trains per day. This will add 22,000 trains per year by 2030.

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