RATP Dev has announced that is has been selected as preferred bidder by the Normandy region of France for a contract to operate regional services on lines mainly serving the city of Caen, the first to tendered by the region.
Work to finalise the contract will now begin, with award subject to a vote by members of the regional council during a plenary session scheduled for December 15. The region says that it will provide further details of the contract following the vote.
A mobilisation period would then follow from January 2026 until July 2027, when RATP Dev would take over from incumbent French National Railways (SNCF). RATP Dev says that its teams will carefully manage the handover period, drawing on their expertise in handling complex transitions. The teams are already preparing for a smooth and transparent handover, the company adds.
Adopted by plenary session of the regional council on October 17 2022, Normandy’s tendering programme for regional services is based on dividing the network into five geographical lots, which will be opened up to competition on a phased basis.
The lot that RATP Dev will operate comprises:
- Caen - Coutances
- Caen - Saint-Lô
- Caen - Evreux
- Caen - Cherbourg
- Caen - Rouen
- Caen - Lisieux
- Caen - Granville
- Caen - Rennes
- Lisieux - Trouville-Deauville, and
- Trouville-Deauville - Dives-Cabourg.
The region says that this structured programme provides future operators with clarity, enabling them to prepare efficiently and plan investment. Competitive tendering is expected to primarily result in a better service for passengers, the region says.
Jean-Baptiste Gastinne, vice-president in charge of transport at the Normandy region, told Ouest France that bids for the Caen lot were submitted by RATP Dev and SNCF, with RATP Dev making the better offer both in technical and financial terms. According to Le Monde, the contract is worth €842m.
The four remaining lots, comprising lines serving Rouen, Paris - Granville, lines serving Le Mans and services from Normandy to Paris Saint-Lazare, will be progressively opened up to competition between 2030 and 2034. The region expects to call tenders for the Rouen package from this autumn.
“This major project is fully aligned with our ambition to deliver high-performing, sustainable mobility services for local communities and their residents,” says RATP Dev CEO, Hiba Farès.
