Summary:
SNCF Réseau refuses to postpone railway works on the Nice-Vintimille line, leading to dissatisfaction from travelers and authorities in Monaco.
Full Story:
Yesterday, a meeting was held between Céline CARON-DAGIONI, Government Counselor, Minister of Equipment, Environment and Urbanism in the Principality of Monaco, Jean-Pierre SERRUS, Vice-President of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region in charge of transport and sustainable mobility, SNCF Voyageurs, SNCF Réseau, and regional and Monegasque services. The meeting discussed the planned works on the Nice-Ventimiglia railway line and the related substitution plan. The works include improvements to the accessibility for people with reduced mobility at Villefranche-sur-Mer station, the catenary system between Beaulieu-sur-Mer and Monaco, the St-Laurent tunnel at Eze, and the Multimodal Exchange Hub at Beaulieu-sur-Mer station. These works will result in a nightly interruption of railway service from 9 PM to 6 AM, from Sunday to Thursday. To ensure continuous transport service during the works, SNCF Réseau proposed a substitution plan. However, the current plan does not meet the expectations of passengers and Monegasque authorities. Therefore, the Sud region and the Principality have requested SNCF Réseau to postpone the start date of the works, adjust the time slots, and propose new substitution solutions. The issue of transportation during sports events, especially football matches, was also discussed. Although SNCF Réseau refused to postpone the start date (works will begin on September 15), they agreed to a slight delay from 9 PM to 10:45 PM for the daily working period. This delay will only require one substitution at 11:30 PM, but it does not satisfy the broader expectations of the Principality. The Sud region and the Principality of Monaco plan to continue their collaborative efforts and will hold another meeting on Monday, September 16, at 6:30 PM in the Principality.
Source:
Gouvernement Monaco
