Luggage delivery and new regional operator: what is changing for French trains

The return of door-to-door luggage delivery and a new operator for the Marseille–Nice TER line are the two significant developments for train passengers in France in July.

Door-to-door luggage delivery

The delivery service, previously run by Chronopost, is now managed by GEODIS, a logistics subsidiary of the SNCF group. 

It allows passengers to have bags collected from their home and delivered directly to their destination, complete with door-to-door tracking, anywhere in mainland France, as well as Corsica and road-accessible islands.

The service is particularly aimed at people with reduced mobility or older passengers, but it is open to all. 

It includes standard items weighing up to 25kg and 2.5m, as well as bulky baggage (up to 3m) such as bicycles, skis, pushchairs, and non-motorised wheelchairs.

The offer has been expanded to allow bookings up to the day before departure, with deliveries every morning except Sunday. A relay-point delivery option is also expected soon, with prices starting from €35.

However, costs for the main service have risen significantly. 

The price to ship one standard item with a train ticket and loyalty or Avantage card rises to €55, up from €32. With no ticket or discount card, the charge increases to €71. A €7 supplement applies for doorstep delivery.

Train passengers can purchase the service at the same time they buy their tickets on the SNCF Connect website or app.

New operator for Marseille–Nice TER

The Marseille–Nice TER route will be operated by Transdev from Sunday, June 29, marking the first time SNCF loses control of an entire regional line to a private competitor.

Transdev, which won the contract from the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, has committed to doubling the number of daily return services from 7 to 14 and achieving 97% punctuality - a significant improvement on current performance. 

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The ten-year contract is seen as a landmark in the gradual opening up of regional rail services to competition, required by EU law since January 2024.

Nonetheless, the SNCF continues to dominate French rail transport. Of the first ten calls for tenders launched by regional authorities this year, SNCF has won seven, Transdev two (Marseille-Nice and Nancy-Contrexéville, reopening in 2027), and RATP one (including tram-train lines T12 and T13 in the Paris region).

Some regions, including Occitanie and Brittany, have renewed long-term contracts with SNCF without putting routes to tender. Others, such as Normandy and Ile-de-France, are planning phased liberalisation over the next few years.

SNCF has responded to competition by creating leaner subsidiaries, renegotiating work arrangements, and maintaining a high bid presence, supported by its large staff and established infrastructure. 

New entrants, by contrast, must form dedicated companies, recruit specialised staff, and build their own maintenance facilities - all at significant cost.