faced with the discontent, the Grand Est Region is implementing exceptional measures

Faced with the discontent of users at the 4% increase in TER prices from January 1, the Grand-Est region is implementing exceptional measures. Users are satisfied with it but ask for improvements in terms of information for travelers.

The year had started badly for TER (regional express train) users in the Grand Est region: to the 4% increase in prices from January 1 was added the elimination of 20% of trains due in particular to a lack of personnel linked to the health crisis and of maintenance work.

It did not take more to provoke their anger which they expressed in a previous article, to read here. Claiming to be aware of these inconveniences, the Grand Est region is implementing exceptional measures:

• Postponement to March 1 of the rate increase for monthly direct debit subscriptions. This increase was initially to be passed on from January 1.
• 50% reduction in the price of monthly subscriptions on the Mulhouse / Troyes / Paris-Est line. This reduction, already applied in January, will be renewable for the month of February.
• On the Strasbourg / Nancy / Châlons / Paris-Est line, reimbursement of the February pass for monthly direct debit subscribers.
• Implementation of a special weekly “telework” subscription: 10% cheaper than the current weekly subscription, subject to the “employer premium”.

The FNAUT Grand Est, which brings together 42 transport user associations, is satisfied with these measures. “It’s good to postpone the price increase until March, believes its president François Giordani, although that may imply that the situation will not improve until then. “ While he welcomes these adjustments, he regrets that they only concern subscribers. “They did not think about people who are on a temporary basis or on fixed-term contracts and who occasionally take TER. But they are also impacted.”

François Giordani is now waiting for improvements in terms of information for travelers. “They communicated very poorly on the paratransit plan put in place from January 3. The subscribers did not receive any information upstream, and it is very poorly indicated in the stations. Last Monday [jour d’entrée en vigueur du dispositif], a lot of people weren’t aware that their regular train would not be running. “

The users’ representative also wonders about the organization of the work put forward to justify – aside from the health situation – the implementation of the adapted transport plan which reduces train traffic by 20%. “Perhaps they could do the work at night or during off-peak hours, to avoid cutting trains at peak times?“, he suggests.