European rail operators SNCF Voyageurs and SBB Swiss Federal Railways have agreed to an extended partnership running until 2032.
The two companies already have a commercial agreement in place to operate the joint venture TGV Lyria high-speed services that run between France and Switzerland.
The new five-year deal will allow SNCF and SBB to work together to develop additional cross-border services, including new long-distance routes from Switzerland to France and other parts of Europe.
Jean Castex, chairman and CEO of the SNCF Group, said: “I am delighted with the extension of our historic collaboration with the SBB. This is a new step for the deployment of TGV Lyria. Offering new services or new destinations has always been at the heart of our partnership and the SNCF Group’s strategy.”
TGV Lyria currently operates three routes: Paris-Geneva, Paris-Lausanne and Paris-Basel-Zürich. A fourth seasonal summer service from Marseille to Lausanne, via Geneva, is set to operate over an extended period from 16 April to 2 November this year. TGV Lyria carried 5.7 million passengers last year.
Vincent Ducrot, CEO of SBB, added: “With the extension of our partnership, we are ensuring that Switzerland – in the long term – has a strong, reliable and lasting connection with France.”