Alstom’s new Omneo trains have begun commercial service on the ZOU! line between Marseille, Toulon and Nice in the South of France.
The new units were officially launched on 30 June with Renaud Muselier, President of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region and Deputy Chairman of Régions de France, and Thierry Mallet, Chairman and CEO of Transdev.
Alstom’s Omneo train entered service on 29 June 2025 on the ZOU! train line between Marseille, Toulon and NiceThe new service is set to double the number of trains available, with one train every hour on weekdays, extended operating hours from 06:00 to 21:00, a total of 9 stations served Marseille Saint-Charles, Toulon, Carnoules, Les Arcs Draguignan, Saint-Raphaël Valescure, Cannes, Antibes, Nice Saint-Augustin and Nice-Ville, unchanged fares (with a 20% reduction from 01 July 2025) and the creation of over 180 direct jobs.
The new line had sold more than 92,000 tickets before its official launch on 29 June.
Each of Alstom’s 110-metre Omneo trains have ben manufactured by the company at its Crespin site in the North of France, with their production made possible by funding provided by both the Region (250 million EUR) and the Bandque des Territoires (73 million EUR).
The units can accommodate 400 seated passengers and up to 730 in a double trainset configuration, with each unit powered by 100% green electricity.
Renaud Muselier, President of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region and Deputy President of Régions de France, said:Today marks a historic step: we are officially launching the opening up of our regional trains to competition.
We are the first region in France to have opened up our regional trains to competition. This project embodies our desire to offer a more ambitious public service, with double the number of trains on this route and unchanged fares, which will be reduced by 20% from 1 July 2025. Trains that are more reliable and more sustainable, always at the service of users.
To facilitate maintenance, a new, 2,000 square metre site has been built in Nice by the NGE group to ensure constant maintenance and availability of rolling stock.
