RATP Dev begins operation of new public transit network in eastern France

Credit: RATP Dev

RATP Dev has announced that it has started the operation of the new STAR’T unified public transit network in the Haute-Savoie region, in partnership with Borini Développement, on behalf of the Thonon Municipal Authority. This new network brings together and seamlessly operates what were previously six independently managed networks.

The decision to entrust a single operator with a public transit service previously split between six independent networks shows the municipal authority of Thonon’s commitment to mobility. This is further highlighted by a doubling of the public transit service offer that is set to commence from 1 January 2023, within the area governed by the municipal authority.

“This scale of increase in the provision of public transit is a first in France. We can take pride in that. Furthermore, our new STAR’T network will make more sense, with a service provision and timetables tailored to the needs of commuters and school children, and better connected with the French and Swiss intercity networks,” said Christophe Arminjon, Chairman of the Thonon Municipal Authority.

“We have been operating public transit services in Haute-Savoie for almost 20 years now. Today, we are the leading operator in the region, which gives us in-depth knowledge of the local mobility issues. We use that knowledge to better serve the people of Thonon,” said Jean-Pierre Philibert, RATP Dev’s Director for the Auvergne-RhôneAlpes and Switzerland zone.

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RATP Dev’s partnership with Borini Développement, a family-owned transportation company based in Haute-Savoie, further strengthens the company’s existing local knowledge. Together, these two partners created RDB Thonon, the entity that manages the STAR’T network.

This new network is modernised, better connected and easier for passengers to understand. With 75 vehicles running 11 bus routes and a cable railway, it covers the whole municipality at both peak and off-peak times. The service is structured to pick up passengers arriving at railway stations and lakeside landing stages to get them to Geneva and Lausanne before 07.30. It offers them an easy way to get to the main business districts, such as Douvaine les Esserts, Bons-en-Chablais and the Bracots business park.

RATP Dev is also committed to implementing the most modern operating standards through a Mobility-as-a-Service approach, which includes using paperless tickets (M-ticketing) and a dedicated mobile app that commuters can use, for example, to plan their itinerary and look up information in real time, or plan upcoming journeys.