France advances Metropolitan Express Regional Service projects

France is progressing with the development of Metropolitan Express Regional Services (SERM), also known as Metropolitan RER, to provide high-frequency interurban train services in major metropolitan areas. Following the adoption of a national legal framework in December 2023, local authorities are working to define regional projects.

In the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, the regional council has approved the submission of four SERM projects covering Aix-Marseille, Avignon, Toulon, and Nice. These files will be transmitted to the Ministry of Transport for status validation. While described as a decisive step, the projects currently lack finalized investment programs or formal financial commitments from the State, the region, or partners such as SNCF.

In Bordeaux, the GART (Association of Transport Organizing Authorities) held a colloquium to discuss the strategic and governance challenges of intermodality and SERM. Regions such as Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Strasbourg, and Bordeaux are noted as pioneers in implementing these services, with some areas already seeing increased train frequencies since 2021.