The public debate on the Réunion Express rail project started on August 19 and will continue until November 26.
Organized under the aegis of the National Commission for Public Debate, it provides information, to ask questions and give your opinion on this major project, which aims to provide the island with a 140-kilometer rail network between Saint-Benoît and Saint-Joseph. Since the abandonment of the tram-train project in 2010, the “return of the train” is awaited by a growing number of Reunion Islanders, as shown by the General Meeting of Mobility organized in 2023 by the Region. Its total cost is, to date, estimated between 5,2 and 6 billion euros depending on the variants. Subsidies from the State and the European Union are expected to make it a success in addition to local financing and long-term bank loans.. The launch of a first phase of work is planned from 2030, for first commissioning in 2035.
The phasing of the project has not yet been decided and constitutes one of the subjects submitted for discussion as part of the public debate. The principle retained by the Region is based on a first phase of implementation whose investment amount would not exceed 3 billion euros. In this context, several phasing logics are possible : a start in the most congested sectors, progression by territorial basins or even a distribution of investments over several territories.
The Car Jaune offer is strengthening
The first phase of deployment of the high level of service on the Car Jaune network began on August 18, back to school day, between Saint-Paul, Saint-Denis and Saint-André. Double-decker coaches with 83 seats, frequency increased to one coach every 15 minutes during peak hours and lanes dedicated to public transport over around fifty kilometers are all arguments to encourage users to use the regional network. Faced with rising fuel prices, the Réunion Region maintains until October 31, 2026 the system it put in place in May : 50% reduction in the price of Car Jaune subscriptions, network on which the single price of 2 euros per journey does not change. An adjustment to schedules, based on travel times observed since December 2025, was on the other hand carried out. At the end of 2026, a regional network satisfaction survey will be carried out by the Réunion Region and Cap’Run, the group made up of ten local transport companies in charge of operating the Car Jaune network and Transdev, who manages the latter.
The automobile market still slowing down
The number of new vehicles registered in Reunion during the first seven months of 2026 fell by 5,3% : 11,722 vehicles were put into service during the January-July period. The trend towards greening mobility is confirmed. Since the beginning of the year, 50,2% of new registrations concerned hybrid models and 14,1% of 100% electric cars, thermal models representing only 33% of sales. The electrification of the premium segment is notably on track. 32,3% of high-end car registrations have concerned electric models since the start of the year (30% were hybrid models, 24% of thermals). In terms of brands, Renault still holds first place, ahead of Peugeot and Toyota. Dacia and Citroën follow. The main distributor on the island remains, from afar, the Hayot group, far ahead of the Caillé and CFAO group.
The automobile in Reunion : one ton of CO2 per adult
In Reunion, each adult emits a ton of CO2 on average when traveling by car, according to a recent INSEE report analyzing 2022 data. Car emissions represent a significant burden in terms of climate commitments. Nevertheless, the island is among the least emitting French departments. Indeed, households in Réunion own fewer cars than elsewhere, their vehicles are newer, less heavy and less powerful. However, underlines INSEE, the number of cars and their characteristics are getting closer, over time, of the national average. A quarter of emissions linked to household car travel are generated by commuting alone. Eight out of ten adults choose the car to go to work and these motorists are the source of almost all emissions linked to commuting.. If 10% of motorists went to work by bike or public transport, the reduction in these emissions would be between 4 and 9,5%.
Another observation : people living where the bus network is most developed emit less CO2 than others to go to work. This is also the case for women, employees and young people.
