Construction engineering company SYSTRA has been selected to aid in the development of a cross-border express line with France, aimed at alleviating road congestion and redirecting commuter and tourist traffic from Nice.

This initiative, dubbed 'Operation La Brasca', will feature an underground and automated express link connecting the area between the French municipalities of Èze and La Turbie with Monaco.

SYSTRA said its expertise in technical assistance for project management (ATMO) on the West and East line 15 has led the Principality of Monaco to entrust the company with the ATMO of this vital project.

The express line is intended to offer efficient and sustainable access to the city-state, with travel times competitive with car journeys.

With Monaco's train station being the second busiest on the French Riviera and daily road saturation from over 15,000 cars, the need for an alternative transport solution is clear.

SYSTRA will support the Monegasque authorities in managing the project from its inception to the selection of a consortium and the monitoring of the cross-border transport system's design and implementation.

SYSTRA France project director Ariane Galy said: "Operation La Brasca will mobilise a very wide range of skills and expertise, and SYSTRA France is one of the few engineering companies to bring them all together.

“The Principality of Monaco needed a consultant to support it at every stage of the project, and we are proud to have been selected to do just that. This cross-border mini-metro could become a showcase for projects to relieve congestion in urban centres.”

SYSTRA France recently secured a nine-year assignment for the new Bordeaux-Toulouse and Bordeaux-Dax high-speed line, which is claimed to be the largest rail infrastructure project ever undertaken in France.