| Transport express régional | |
| Imagesize2: | 250px |
| Owner: | French regional governments |
| Transit Type: | Regional rail |
| Ridership: | 800,000 |
| Began Operation: | 31 March 1984 |
| Operator: | SNCF |
Transport express régional (in French pronounced as /tʁɑ̃spɔʁ ɛksprɛs ʁeʒjɔnal/, usually shortened to TER) is the brand name used by the SNCF, the French national railway company, to denote rail service run by the regional councils of France, specifically their organised transport authorities. The network serves French regions; Île-de-France (Transilien) and Corsica (CFC) have their own specific transport systems. Every day, over 800,000 passengers are carried on 5,700 TER-branded trains.[1]
TER is part of SNCF Voyageurs, a branch of the SNCF dealing with urban and regional passenger rail, which also includes Transilien, Intercités, Chemins de fer de la Corse (CFC), Keolis, and Effia.
SNCF established the TER system in 1984 to provide a framework for the management of regional passenger services. Since the end of the 1990s, it has been closely coordinated with the regional councils, who sign an agreement with SNCF on the designated routes, the number of connections, the fares and the service levels.
TER services are heavily subsidised by French taxpayers. On average, 72% of the cost is borne by the State and the regional councils, with the travellers paying only about 28% of the cost. This cost tends to increase over time because the regional councils have steadily expanded the number of services.
TER trains consist of single or multiple-unit diesel, electric or dual-mode rail cars, as well as some Corail carriages previously used on intercity routes.
Seven régions have been experimenting with the transfer of administration of the regional rail network since 1997: Alsace, the Centre-Val de Loire, Nord-Pas-de-Calais (the North), Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Rhône-Alpes and the Pays de la Loire (Loire Valley), and, since January 1999, Limousin.
In 1998, the traffic increased to an average of 4.9% in these seven régions compared with 3.2% in other regions.
A few other regions are in turn signing on conventions interimédiaires in order to prepare for the increasing decentralization of the network: in particular, Haute-Normandie in September 1997, Midi-Pyrénées and Burgundy November 1997, Picardy in January 1998, and Lorraine in February 1998.
Several figures released by the regions:
| Region | TER Budget | Portion of the yearly regional budget | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alsace | €220 M | 39% | (2004) | experimental regionalization since 1997 |
| Bretagne | €100 M | 14% | (2005) | |
| Bourgogne | €100 M | 25% | (2005) | |
| Champagne Ardennes | €55 M | 12.5% | (2004) | |
| Franche-Comté | €70 M | 20% | (2005) | |
| Lorraine | €250 M | 45% | (2005) | |
| Picardie | €130 M | 20% | (2002) | intermediate agreement since January 1998 |
| Nord-Pas-de-Calais | €260 M | 21% | (2003) | experimental regionalization since 1997 |
| Rhône-Alpes | €500 M | 30% | (2005) | experimental regionalization since 1997 |
The SNCF have designated ten TER services as trains touristiques (touristic trains). They are: