Rail travel in 2010

Monaco's subterranean railway station is 10 years old.

Monaco Monte Carlo station entrance

On 7th December 1999, the new Monaco Monte Carlo station was inaugurated, and today it's the 3rd busiest station of the Provence Alpes Cote d'Azur (PACA) region, after Marseille Saint Charles and Nice Ville. An average 14,000 passengers travel through every day, and since 2004 the numbers have increased by 19%, with 4.7 million starting or ending their journeys there in 2009, and 5 million expected in 2010. More passengers need more trains, 5 of which were financed with 50 million euros provided by Monaco. The inauguration of the new stock at the end of 2008 has meant that commuters to the Principality can expect a train every 15 minutes during rush hour, and every 30 minutes throughout the rest of the day. Most services are regional (TER) for workers and residents, however there are also international links, with direct services running to Milan and Geneva.

But rail travel isn't always as reliable as it should be, with strikes by the French SNCF workers causing grief for businesses in the Principality, as well as delays due to the coastal route having only 2 tracks for most of its length. Now there are rumours that Monaco may provide funding for a high speed railway line (Ligne a Grande Vitesse - LGV) linking the Principality with Paris through Italy. According to the Nice Matin [1], President of the Cote d'Azur Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dominique Esteve made the suggestion during his New Year press conference. Although a route for the LGV was finally agreed in June 2009, plans have progressed at a snail's pace due to regional politicians' concerns about the environment, economy, and especially finance. Now, local business owners and entrepreneurs are getting fed up with the procrastination and are suggesting an alternative route East.