Enhanced Rail Services Set to Transform Bourgogne-Franche-Comté's Transportation Landscape

In France, SNCF Voyageurs has snagged the first-ever tender to run regional train services in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté area.

This initiative kicked off back in 2021 when the region started crafting a plan for its Mobigo-branded train services.The initial package focuses on routes like Dijon to Nevers, Dijon to Mâcon, and several others connecting key towns such as Cosne and Moulins.

SNCF Voyageurs was the only contender for this contract, which was officially awarded on may 16. It’s set to kick off in December 2026 and will last for seven years,with a potential three-year extension.

“We’re aiming for more frequent and improved train services,” shared Michel Neugnot, Vice-President of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Transports & Mobility. The plan includes boosting service kilometers by an remarkable 34%, jumping from about 3.8 million to around 5.1 million km annually. Passengers can expect five additional round trips daily on each route, four new direct connections, plus extra trains over weekends. Plus, travel times are expected to be trimmed by up to twenty minutes! With these enhancements, ridership is projected to soar by nearly 38%, climbing from approximately six million passengers per year to about eight point seven million.However, this upgrade will come at an increased cost of €5.1 million for the region.

SNCF Voyageurs is also launching a new subsidiary called SNCF Voyageurs Bourgogne Ouest that will feature its own operations center along with a maintenance facility located in Nevers—talk about dedicated service!

The region isn’t stopping here; thay’ve already started seeking bids for another package that includes Paris-Dijon-Lyon routes and have plans for two more operating tenders along with one focused on ticketing solutions.