Renaud Muselier distributes 60,000 leaflets in the Var to defend his railway line against "untruths"

The standoff between the South Region and elected officials from the Estérel Côte d'Azur conurbation continues. On Monday, some 60,000 leaflets signed by Renaud Muselier , the president of the South Region, and two of his vice-presidents, were distributed to letterboxes in Fréjus, Saint-Raphaël, Puget-sur-Argens, and Les Adrets-de-l'Estérel. The aim: to defend the Ligne Nouvelle Provence Côte d'Azur (LNPCA), a vast project to modernize the rail network between Marseille, Toulon, and Nice.

Unlike a high-speed line, the aim is not to connect Paris to the Côte d'Azur, but to increase the number of TER trains, improve train punctuality, and relieve congestion at major stations. "Too many untruths are circulating," writes the Marseille president, who intends to respond point by point to the criticism. The leaflet insists: the LNPCA does not foresee "any new track" in the sector concerned, but rather developments on existing lines, the creation of a station at Nice Airport / Nice West, and work at several stations on the network. In other words, there is no question of disfiguring the mountain ranges of the areas crossed. The Region also promises "twice as many trains by 2035" and up to 98% punctuality starting this year. As for the cost, it is set at 3.6 billion euros for phase 1, "far from the fantasized 14 billion," the document specifies.

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For several months, the project has been the subject of fierce opposition in the eastern Var region. Last November, Frédéric Masquelier , mayor of Saint-Raphaël and president of the urban area, denounced a "destructive and ruinous" project which, according to him, would eliminate TGV trains in Saint-Raphaël, threaten the Estérel massif and cost the region nearly 70 million euros through tourist taxes. He also pointed out that the Region, which has been responsible for transport for eight years, remains one of the worst ranked in France for the regularity of its TER trains. "For that to change, we are told that we will have to wait until 2050," he said ironically.

On July 18, the Marseille Administrative Court rejected the appeals filed against the project's declaration of public utility (DUP) , ruling that the procedure had been respected and that the project was in the general interest. On the same day, the urban area announced the creation of the citizens' collective "Stop LNPCA" during a rally at the Cabran estate in Puget-sur-Argens, attended by farmers, local elected officials, and opponents. A petition was launched. "Politics is about making choices, making clear and assumed commitments," declared Frédéric Masquelier at this meeting. "Faced with the new TGV line project, we will continue to oppose it, as we have always done for 20 years, despite blackmail and retaliatory measures. Nothing will make us back down from canceling this costly project, which only presents economic and environmental disadvantages, without any benefit for our urban area."

In its leaflet, the Region is trying to clear the air. The TGV service to Saint-Raphaël will be maintained, it asserts, and the financial participation of local authorities only concerns those who have chosen to participate - the Var metropolitan area having refused to contribute. A public meeting is also announced for November. "This project does not turn its back on the territories, it reconnects them," concludes Renaud Muselier. In the east of the Var, however, the arguments are struggling to convince elected officials who denounce an operation disconnected from local realities.