Rail market liberalization
In the 2000s, markets for rail freight and international passenger rail opened up to competition, and now Transilien, TER and our high-speed and Intercités services are following suit. With rail expertise unmatched anywhere in Europe, we see this as a major opportunity for SNCF Group.
A guide to rail market liberalization in France
Market segments
- high-speed and long-distance lines
- Trains d’Équilibre du Territoire (TET)—short- and medium-distance service supporting economic development in France’s regions, operated by SNCF with the French State as organizing authority
- Transilien commuter lines in the Paris region, under contract with Île-de-France Mobilités; and TER and short-distance express regional service, under contracts with French regional governments
Timeline
- since December 2019, the French government and regional transportation authorities may issue invitations to tender for approved contracts (Intercités and TER)
- since December 2020, high-speed lines are available as part of a freely-organised service, apart from those subject to a territorial agreement
- since December 2023, the French government and regional transportation authorities are required to issue invitations to tender for the operation of lines, within a ten-year period, with provisional timetables included in their operating contract by mutual agreement with SNCF Voyageurs up to 2033. Special conditions apply in the Paris region, where Transilien lines are scheduled to open between 2023 and 2039
Contracts
- Open access contracts. These apply to high-speed lines and classic long-distance lines that run through multiple regions and may be served by several different operators.
- Public service contracts. For these contracts, each transport authority will gradually open its entire network using calls for tender.
Key dates in opening up to competition
New contract opportunities by segment
High-speed lines
Any operator may be authorized to offer high-speed service anywhere in France, but especially on the most profitable corridors, such as Paris–Lyon, Paris–Lille, Lyon–Marseille, and Paris–Bordeaux.
Trains d’Équilibre du Territoire (TET)
TET regional development lines are currently operated by SNCF Voyageurs under the “Intercités” brand through a contract with the French State, which acts as the transport operating authority. In September 2022, a competitive tender was reintroduced for the operation of Intercités service on the Nantes–Lyon and Nantes–Bordeaux lines. And on 28 January 2025, the State reaffirmed its trust in SNCF Voyageurs, selecting the company over competitors Renfe and Le Train to continue running these lines.
The new 10-year contract, set to begin in 2027, calls for service improvements including more seats on the Nantes-Lyon line and increased frequency on the Nantes-Bordeaux line. Passenger comfort aboard the Coradia Liner trains, in service on these lines since 2017, will also be enhanced.
And more tendered contracts are in store: a preliminary notice was published on 5 February 2025 for TET regional services currently operating under the Intercités brand on the Paris-Clermont-Ferrand and Paris-Limoges-Toulouse lines. The successful candidate will start operating trains in December 2029 for a 10-year period.
Regional express trains (TER)
These lines are currently operated by SNCF Voyageurs under contract with French regional governments.
Eight regions have already invited new operators to bid against SNCF Voyageurs:
- Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur
- Hauts-de-France
- Grand Est
- Pays-de-la-Loire
- Burgundy-Franche-Comté
- Normandy
- Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
- Nouvelle-Aquitaine
New dedicated companies
Three new companies to help operate TER regional lines
SNCF Voyageurs Etoiles d’Amiens was set up under a multi-year contract signed with the Hauts-de-France in northern France (2025-2033). It operates 46 trainsets on 10 lines, including new links between Amiens/Saint-Quentin; Amiens/Layon; and Amiens/Abbeville. Plans call for service to expand by 9% over time. The contract also provides for a dedicated control centre and an upgraded maintenance hub.
SNCF Voyageurs Loire Océan was created under an operating contract signed with the Pays-de-la-Loire region that covers 6 lines—2 tram-train lines serving Greater Nantes, and 4 train lines serving destinations south of the Loire. The new company has 340 employees. Service will get under way in two stages, with the 2 tram-train lines starting up in mid-December 2024, and the 4 train lines to the south beginning in mid-December 2026.
SNCF Voyageurs Sud Azur, created under a contract with France’s Southern region, delivers rail services along the French Riviera and its hinterland. The company has 500 employees and operates three key routes. On the Vintimille Nice-Breil-Tende route, service will terminate at Drap until year-end 2025 due to works on the line. On the Les Arcs-Draguignan-Cannes-Nice-Menton and Vintimille Grasse-Cannes-Nice-Menton routes, which share the Cannes-Nice-Menton corridor, new trains scheduled to debut on December 15 will significantly enhance service—boosting frequency by 75%, with trains running every 15 minutes from 5.45 to 22.00. To support this expansion, a local operations centre for TER regional trains will be opened in Nice, along with a new maintenance hub at Nice-Saint-Roch.
Transilien
This Paris region’s commuter rail network Transilien will be liberalized on a line-by-line basis between 2023 and 2039. The first contracts have already been awarded, with SNCF Voyageurs and Keolis securing tenders for tram-train lines T4 and T11 (Lot 1).
The Transilien L line—Transilien’s first train line to be opened up to competition—will continue to be run by SNCF Voyageurs from 2027 to 2035, following a decision taken by Île-de-France Mobilités at its board meeting on 20 May 2025. Operations will be managed through our new subsidiary SNCF Voyageurs Cœur Ouest IDF. This outcome highlights SNCF Voyageurs’ continued competitiveness as more lines are put out to tender.
Transilien wins contract extension in Paris region
In December 2022 Île-de-France Mobilités (IDFM), the mobility authority for the Paris region, extended Transilien’s 2020-2023 operating agreement by 2 years. Under a single contract, this SNCF Voyageurs subsidiary combines the roles of transport provider, network manager and station manager. Extending the deal through year-end 2025 deepened the partnership of trust between the parties, and set higher performance targets for Transilien effective 1 January 2023
What’s new for passengers
Now that passenger rail transport is open to competition, new entrants can offer trains on lines formerly reserved for national operators. For example, Trenitalia has operated Frecciarossa trains on the Paris–Lyon line since autumn 2021, and Renfe has served the Paris–Marseille corridor since 2024.
Meanwhile, lines in other European countries have opened to us. In just one example, trains operated by our Keolis subsidiary now call at railway stations in the United Kingdom.
SNCF in Europe
SNCF’s rail experience is unrivalled anywhere in Europe. Our portfolio of brands includes Eurostar Group in the UK, Belgium and the Netherlands, Lyria in Switzerland, Alleo in Germany, and TGV France-Spain and OUIGO España in Spain. And we’re just getting started.
Countdown to competition in 10 key dates
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