Transport

• Introduction
• Limited use of cross-border public transport
• Projects at all territorial levels
• How to cope with the increase in cross-border flows?

Projects at all territorial levels

All modes of public transport are concerned (urban and interurban, bus and coach, rail links, tram-train, tramway, river and maritime ferries) and one of the challenges in cross-border transport is intermodal integration.

Examples:

• On the Franco-Swiss border, the "Greater Geneva" project is developing four strategic transport projects :
  - the Cornavin - Eaux-Vives - Annemasse (CEVA) link connecting the Swiss and French rail networks,
  - the development of high frequency public transport services between Geneva and Annemasse, Saint-Julien, Saint-Genis-Pouilly and Ferney-Voltaire,
  - the improvement of links from Annecy to Annemasse, Geneva, the Arve Valley and Chablais,
  - the strengthening of coach service networks in Haute-Savoie and the Pays de Gex.
  Further information on the Transport LGTC in the Greater Geneva area

• On the Franco-Spanish border, the Perpignan-Figueres high-speed line was inaugurated on 27 January 2011. Connecting the two cities in 23 minutes, this new line is part of the priority project "High-speed railway axis of southwest Europe" of the Trans-European Transport Network as defined by the EU.

• On the Franco-German border, the cross-border extension of the Strasbourg tram network to the neighbouring town of Kehl in Germany, projected for 2014, is being co-financed by the Interreg IV Upper Rhine programme.

• On the Franco-Italian border, the cross-border project "TRIA – Integrated Alpine TRansport” aims to improve cross-border public transport in historic alpine regions like Savoie (Maurienne / Lower Suse Valley) and the Dauphiné (Briançonnais / Upper Suse Valley), with the development of integrated road-rail transport as well as a more efficient coordination of transport services and a more targeted communication strategy to better inform the public. The project is led by the Turin Agency for Urban Mobility, with French and Italian local authorities as partners. It is co-funded by the EU within the framework of the ALCOTRA 2007-2013 Interreg programme.

• On the Franco-Belgian border, the Lille-Kortrijk-Tournai Eurometropolis has been heading a fare-setting and awareness-raising project since its inception; negotiations were held with the rail transport service operators SNCB and SNCF. Both operators are facilitating cross-border mobility by eliminating the habitual surcharges on cross-border tickets (resulting in a reduction of 1.4 € per ticket). The providers’ web platforms also coordinate with each other to provide complete information on train times for cross-border routes.

Photo : Le Léman express, train transfrontalier à la frontière franco-suisse, Grand Genève
Copyright : CFF