Région Sud selected SNCF Voyageurs to operate the Zou! rail services for the Eastern Provence lines and Alpine line (Lot 3), following the tender process launched in 2024.
This choice is part of the policy led by Renaud Muselier, President of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region, aimed at modernising and strengthening the regional rail network by opening services to competition.
SNCF Voyageurs presented a high-performing, robust proposal tailored to the expectations set out in this third rail operations tender launched by the Région Sud as part of the market liberalisation process.
For this, the SNCF Voyageurs Sud Alpes Méditerranée company has been created to serving passengers in the Marseille and Alpine areas of the Région Sud.
The dedicated company, SNCF Voyageurs Sud Alpes Méditerranée, will operate the Zou! rail services on behalf of the Région Sud for a period of 10 years starting from December 2029, covering the following routes:
- Marseille – Aubagne – Toulon – Hyères
- Marseille – Toulon – Les Arcs Draguignan
- Marseille – Aix-en-Provence – Pertuis
- Marseille – Gap – Briançon – Gap – Valence – Romans, including the key challenge of the 2030 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games
The upcoming contract, valued at EUR 1.8 billion for operations, will allow for a 30% increase in services, thereby meeting the growing mobility demands across the region, in line with the objectives set by the Region in its specifications.
“This success in the Sud Region is a great source of pride for SNCF Voyageurs. It demonstrates our teams’ ability to reinvent themselves, challenge established practices, and build an ambitious proposal — including a significant 30% increase in services — in response to the expectations of the Region and its Zou! network, just as we have done with SNCF Voyageurs Sud Azur over the past year,” said Christophe Fanichet, CEO of SNCF Voyageurs.
This increase in services will be rolled out progressively, depending on evolving needs, particularly in view of the 2030 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, and the progress of major rail infrastructure projects, including the new Provence–Côte d’Azur line (Ligne Nouvelle Provence-Côte d’Azur, LNPCA).
To support this development, SNCF Voyageurs Sud Alpes Méditerranée will deploy 25 new Regiolis trainsets, purchased by the Region with an investment of EUR 328 million.
To ensure optimal service quality, the Région Sud will also invest EUR 46 million to modernise the Marseille maintenance depot and construct a new facility in Briançon, enabling more efficient rolling stock maintenance close to operational lines.
“The Region’s decision to award the operation of the Zou! rail services for the Eastern Provence lines and the Alpine line to SNCF Voyageurs is a major responsibility. We are fully committed to preparing for operational implementation, structuring the new dedicated company, and ensuring a smooth and successful transition by 2029,” said Jean-Aimé Mougenot, Deputy Director of TER, SNCF Voyageurs.
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