During the National Council’s discussions on the second amending budget for 2024 on Thursday, October 10, the issue of train services was raised during the review of the “major works” section.
Due to planned construction on the Nice-Ventimiglia railway line, night trains will be suspended for ten months until June 2025. However, elected officials praised the efforts of the princely government and the Sud Paca Region for their negotiations with SNCF, which resulted in delaying the start of construction work from 21:00 to 22:00, suspending work on match nights, and providing replacement buses for cancelled trains.
The debate also highlighted a 3.5 million euro amendment in the 2024 budget for Monaco’s contribution toward financing two new TER trains. Céline Caron-Dagioni, Government Counsellor-Minister of Equipment, Environment, and Urban Planning, explained that this was a deposit for the order of additional trains.
The decision was made after reviewing issues caused by the lack of available trains amid increasing ridership. Caron-Dagioni stressed the importance of placing the order now, as the specific train model used by Monaco is soon to be discontinued by the supplier. The 3.5 million euros represent 10 percent of the total order, with a full estimate expected to range between 35 and 42 million euros, pending the final quote from the manufacturer.
National Councillor Nathalie Amoratti-Blanc expressed concern about potential extra costs for Monaco compared to the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region. Caron-Dagioni reassured her, confirming that Monaco would pay the same price as the neighbouring region and is awaiting the final quote to ensure this parity. As for the delivery timeline, the minister stated that the new trains are expected by the end of 2027. She emphasised that without this early order, Monaco would have faced even longer delays in receiving the necessary equipment.