The competition procedure had been discontinued at the end of 2020, due to the health crisis. The SNCF was then the only candidate.
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The State relaunched, Friday, September 16, the competition for Intercity trains Nantes-Lyon and Nantes-Bordeaux, announced the Ministry of Transport. The procedure had been discontinued at the end of 2020, “due to the health crisis”while the SNCF was the only candidate.
The government then referred to the “economic difficulties encountered by railway players following the health crisis” and “the lack of a reliable prospect of traffic recovery”two factors preventing “fair and equitable competition”susceptible to “guarantee the best service to the user at the best price”.
Once interested, the operators Arriva (Deutsche Bahn group), EuroRail and Transdev had decided not to submit offers, leaving the SNCF alone in the race. The new version of the call for tenders now provides “that the candidates propose an optional offer for the development of a link between Nantes and Lille” which would pass through Angers, Le Mans, Caen, Rouen and Amiens, the ministry said.
This new line will be launched, or not, “depending on the result of the offers received”he added. “The start of operations by the new contract holder is planned for 2027”once the winner of the call for tenders has been designated.
The Intercités are subsidized by the State and must be operated by the SNCF until 2031. But the agreement signed in March with the company provides that part of the lines will be gradually opened to competition by then. At the same time, several regions have already begun to open up their TERs to competition, organized as for the Intercités by the 2018 railway law.