MOT’s statement in support of cross-border Metropolitan Regional Express Services (SERM)

October 2024

Represented by its Vice-President Brigitte Torloting, Vice-President of the Grand Est Region, the MOT took part in the GART-UTPF conference entitled “What model of public transport should be adopted to facilitate cross-border mobility?”, held during the “Eu Mobility Expo” trade fair, which took place in Strasbourg this year. This was an opportunity for the MOT to present its position, developed in collaboration with Objectif RER Métropolitains, on the cross-border dimension of SERM projects.

Read the advocacy document here.

Whether for work, study or shopping, cross-border regions have been facing a steady increase in daily commuter flows for several years. Against this backdrop, public authorities, in collaboration with their partners on the other side of the border, are committed to developing transport services that meet the needs of these cross-border residents.

As a recent embodiment of this ‘everyday mobility’, SERMs were at the heart of all discussions during this edition.

Jeanne Barseghian, President of the Strasbourg-Ortenau Eurodistrict, who was present at the round table, emphasised the importance of making progress within her territory on the issues of pricing, harmonisation and, more broadly, facilitating cross-border mobility for users. To avoid “absurd situations” such as tickets costing more depending on where they are purchased, the Eurodistrict will bring its residents together to discuss these difficulties, ahead of the launch of a study on a “cross-border fare network”.

The Eu Mobility Expo also provided an opportunity for the MOT to take part in a workshop led by the Société des Grands Projets (SGP) on cross-border SERMs, focusing on the work undertaken to date by the Mulhouse-Basel, Lorraine-Luxembourg, Strasbourg (REME), as well as by the Hauts-de-France SERM, in collaboration with neighbouring Belgian authorities.

To find out more, see the MOT’s report on “The new challenges of cross-border mobility”The “Eu Mobility Expo” website