One of the most successful campaigns within Citizens’ Rail returns to France this summer, after attracting thousands of new passengers last year.
Following the success of the “beach train” in 2013 between Saumur, La Roche-sur-Yon and Les Sables d’Olonne, Citizens’ Rail’s French partner Pays de la Loire, working alongside la Région Poitou-Charentes, is bringing the concept back this year for an extended season, from 1st May to 28th September (last year the train ran from 7th July to 25th August). Pays de la Loire is also launching a second beach train (outside of Citizens’ Rail) from Mans to le Croisic.
Last summer’s Les Sables-d’Olonne beach train (route shown below) was a huge success with more than 5,300 extra journeys made, and an average ridership of 171 people per train – rising to 359 people on the busiest service. Demand was such that capacity had to be expanded during the campaign. All of the stations and halts along the line saw impressive numbers – with the majority of passengers boarding at Saumur, Thouars and Bressuire. Halts such as Cerizay were the busiest they have been for several years.
Read more about Pays de la Loire’s work within Citizens’ Rail (in English).
Read Pays de la Loire’s full beach train press release (in French).
Visit the beach train website (in French).
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