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# [RÉUNION] Réunion Express: CESER to Assess Economic Impact on Local Businesses
- URL: https://businessoi.media/en/la-reunion-reunion-express-le-ceser-veut-chiffrer-limpact-economique-sur-les-entreprises-en/
- Published: 2026-11-05T13:40:19.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-05T13:40:19.000Z
- Description: Réunion's economic council wants to quantify Réunion Express's cost on local businesses. A crucial step before construction starts: commerce, crafts and restaurants facing uncertainty.
- Author: Emmanuel TAOCHY
- Tags: La Réunion, Économie, Investissement, Clôture, #en

**Réunion Island's economic and social council (CESER) has announced plans to evaluate the impact of the Réunion Express project on local businesses. A step seen as essential before the future guided transit network moves into its operational phase.**

## A Project With Unprecedented Economic Dimensions

Réunion Express is the tram-train project that aims to connect western and southern Réunion to Saint-Denis via approximately 45 kilometers of guided track. The stated ambition: unclog the island's roads, reduce the carbon footprint of travel, and inject new economic energy through public procurement and construction jobs.

But as the project moves through its preparation phase, economic questions are becoming more pressing: what impact on businesses and shops along the route? How will work-related disruptions be compensated? Who will fund the logistical adjustments imposed on businesses near the track?

## The CESER Takes on the Issue

The Réunion CESER — a consultative body bringing together social partners, economic actors and civil society representatives — announced its intention to conduct an independent study on the cost to businesses. The aim is to bring hard data to the debate and inform the Regional Council's decisions in the coming months, before construction begins.

The move follows concerns raised by several employers' federations, particularly in commerce, crafts and food service, whose businesses could face revenue losses during the construction period.

## A Financing Model Under Discussion

Beyond operational disruptions, the project's overall financing model remains under debate. Réunion Express relies on a structure combining the French State, the Réunion Region and the European Union through FEDER funds. The total project cost makes it one of the largest infrastructure investments in the island's history.

"Réunion Express's success depends as much on winning the support of economic actors as on its technical performance," the CESER bureau stated. The ongoing evaluation aims precisely to build that consensus on a factual basis.

## Why It Matters

With unemployment at 19% and persistent economic pressure, Réunion Express represents both a public-investment-led recovery opportunity and a potential additional burden for the small businesses lining the route. The CESER assessment will be decisive in striking the right balance between infrastructure ambition and protecting the local economic fabric.

*Sources: Économie Matin / Zinfos974 / Outremers 360 / CESER Réunion*