TER (train)

Transport express régional

A SNCF Class X 73500 train at Moreuil station
Overview
Owner	French regional governments
Transit type	Regional rail
Daily ridership	800,000
Operation
Began operation	31 March 1984
Operator(s)	SNCF

Transport express régional (French pronunciation: ​[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 twenty French regions; Île-de-France and Corsica have their own specific transport systems. Every day, over 800,000 passengers are carried on 5,700 TER-branded trains.

TER is an integral part of SNCF Proximités, a branch of the SNCF dealing with urban and regional passenger rail, along with Transilien (Île-de-France), Intercités, Chemins de fer de 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.

The low profitability of the TER system is primarily due to the way that the services are used by the travelling public, with commuter traffic in the morning and evening but significant under-utilisation during the rest of the day. In addition, passenger numbers are not particularly high; the trains have an average ridership of only about 66 travellers per train.

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, 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.