Context

In 2016, the Occitanie Regional Council organized the General Assembly on Rail and Intermodality (EGRIM) to collaboratively define the priorities of regional policy regarding rail transport and intermodality. Among the identified projects was the reopening of the Alès-Bessèges line to passenger traffic, which had been suspended in 2012 for safety reasons. Following a preliminary study, SNCF Réseau wanted to organize a formal consultation phase to gather feedback and involve all relevant stakeholders (potential line users, local residents, local authorities, socio-economic actors, etc.) in the project.

Missions

• Alongside the Sennse agency: design, preparation and implementation of the consultation process which took place during a constant dialogue with SNCF Gares & Connexions and the Occitanie Region

• Implementation of a public-facing platform Jenparle , including a participatory map module that allowed residents to geolocate their opinions and contributions

• Organization, execution and reporting of local meetings

Innovative dimensions of the approach

• The consultation aimed as much as possible to "reach out to" the residents of the area affected by the reopening: a consultation bus stopped in 8 municipalities along the railway line, in order to go directly to meet the people concerned. 

• In light of the health situation, remote participation options were implemented via our Jenparle platform to allow everyone to express their views. The in-person launch meeting was also broadcast live online, and a decoding workshop was held entirely remotely via videoconference.