D-DAY for the new ZOU! train service between Marseille, Toulon and Nice

D-DAY for the new ZOU! train service between Marseille, Toulon and Nice that includes a fleet of new-generation trains.

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On June 30, 2025 in Marseille, Renaud MUSELIER, President of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region and Deputy President of Régions de France, and Thierry MALLET, Chairman and CEO of Transdev, officially launched the new ZOU! train service between Marseille, Toulon and Nice alongside Simon BABRE, Prefect of Var Department, Jean-Louis MASSON, President of the Conseil Départemental du Var, and Geneviève LEVY, Deputy to the Mayor of Toulon, representing Josée MASSI, Mayor of Toulon and Jean-Pierre GIRAN, President of the Toulon Provence Méditerranée Metropolitan Area, Mayor of Hyères.

Press Release – Launch of the New ZOU! Train Service

Download the press release | PDF 241.4 KB

This new train offer includes a fleet of new-generation trains that have started running between Marseille, Toulon and Nice on June 29, 2025: a first in French rail history.

Doubling the number of trains, a totally new experience

Supported by the Région Sud, this opening to competition will double the train offer on the coastal route:

1 train every hour on weekdays (14 round trips, 16 at weekends), (1 train per hour),
Extended opening hours: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
9 stations served: Marseille Saint-Charles, Toulon, Carnoules, Les Arcs Draguignan, Saint-Raphaël Valescure, Cannes, Antibes, Nice Saint-Augustin and Nice-Ville (2h40 journey time)
Unchanged fares for subscribers, with a 20% reduction from July 1,2025,
Creation of more than 180 direct jobs (drivers, maintenance mechanics, etc.),
More than 92,000 tickets sold before the official launch of the line on June 29, 2025.

An eco-responsible train made in France

The fleet of 16 trainsets is manufactured by Alstom at its Crespin site in Hauts-de-France, with the “Origine France Garantie” label. The purchase of the trainsets was paid for by the Region for some EUR 250 million. Each 110-meter trainset accommodates 400 seated passengers, and up to 730 in double-set configuration. The trains are powered by 100% green electricity.

To ensure their maintenance, a 2,000 m² site has been built in Nice by NGE group, in an eco-responsible approach, financed for some EUR 40 million euros by the Région Sud. It will enable high-quality maintenance and maximum availability of rolling stock, essential to the promised 97.5% regularity. The maintenance and the trainsets have been financed up to EUR 130 million by the Banque des Territoires.

Information sheet

Download the Media Facts & Figures sheet here | PDF 189.8 KB

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“Today marks a historic milestone: we are officially launching the opening 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 determination 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 July 1, 2025. We are offering trains that are more reliable and more sustainable, always at the service of passengers.”

Thierry MALLET, Chairman and CEO of Transdev.