Travellers to and from the Principality by train will be familiar with the faults of the SNCF’s TER service between Nice and Monaco, especially those who have the misfortune of attempting to board a packed train in peak rush hours. The faults are not lost on the Monegasque government, which pays the train operator the sum of eight million euros each year as a subsidy for the TER line.
Despite recent tensions between the two bodies, members of the National Council and the Prince’s Government are in agreement over the need for serious improvements, with the Minister of Public Works, the Environment and Urban Development Céline Caron-Dagioni publicly addressing the SNCF at a meeting to discuss the amending of the 2023 budget.
“The service provided by the SNCF to Monaco, a major financier of the TER line, is not at the level of what we pay for. Today, we are in the process of renewing our funding and we will not do it if what is expected of the service is not there,” said Madame Caron-Dagioni. taking a firm stance on the hot topic.
The Principality has purchased entire trains in previous years, with the intention of increasing passenger capacity and easing commuter congestion, while also participating in the financing of the extension of the Nice-Riquier platforms to accommodate more carriages.
The TER service between Nice and Monaco is among the most frequented in the region, with Nice-Ville and Monaco being the most popular stations behind only Marseille Saint-Charles. More than 6.5 million train travellers passed through Monaco in 2022, making the Monaco Monte-Carlo station extremely busy, and the need for change very apparent.
Featured image by Jack Brodie
