Operated by SNCF Mobilités, the 7,000 trains and 1,300 buses that go to make up
Regional Express Transport (Transports Express Régionaux – TER) provide services to periurban areas, regional cities and isolated territories, carrying
some 900,000 passengers a day.
The assessment of TER carried out between 2012 and 2018 highlights a number of concerns, including drop in ridership, deterioration in service quality and an increase in operating costs. However, over the same period, regions have invested heavily in renewal of rolling stock and even in regeneration of the rail network and various railway stations; they have also pursued ever more user-friendly pricing policies. This apparent paradox is explained by the deteriorated state of the network, which leads to trains being delayed or slowing down, particularly on low-traffic lines, as well as to a poorly adapted service offer and high labour costs.
The Court makes nine recommendations to improve the quality of service, control operating costs and prepare for opening up to competition.
