The Court of Auditors has published today its report on "the transfer to the regions transport train: mixed results and developments to continue." Verdict: TER now costs too much and it is not suitable for many lines in sub-activity. The institution of the Rue Cambon points to the lavish spending of regions purchase of rolling stock and operating costs too high for the station. The regions have spent 600 million euros since 2004 to renew their fleets TER. "They must be reasonable and proportioned more traffic to their efforts," said Philippe S?guin, the first President of the Court of Auditors. Investments can be a symbol of vitality but not necessarily needed. "The report also questions the effectiveness of operations by the SNCF and its inability to cut costs because of the status of railway workers.This induces a "surcharge of about 20 to 30%. "The SNCF is the sole interlocutor of the areas, said Philippe S?guin. This monopoly reduces the bargaining power of regions and do not push the operator to achieve productivity gains. "The average cost of a B in France is 17 euros per kilometer and train while it is only 11 euros in Germany.
According to the report, the TER has cost 2.7 billion euros to the regions in 2009. It represents an increasing share of their budget for an average load of trains by 26%. Lines and less crowded – or 7 800 km in France – do not see spending an average of ten trains per day. These figures conceal wide disparities: trains run empty in rural areas and off-peak while others are crowded into urban areas.
Carbon footprint
The Court of Auditors calls for the abandonment of certain lines in favor of the bus."The cost of the less frequented lines is too high for public finances," said Philippe S?guin. It is equivalent to the mile, the cost to use a private car. "The Court regrets that the" analytical accounts of the station "makes it difficult to choose between profitable routes and unprofitable lines.
Paradoxically, the use of the bus even improve the carbon footprint of TER. Today, 90% of lines are not electrified and diesel is half the energy consumed by the regional trains. "And most of the electrical energy is of thermal origin, explains Philippe S?guin. The carbon footprint of the TER is not favorable. "
The report of the Court of Auditors (pdf)