SNCF will develop its “low-cost” service. The train company promises that the supply of TGV seats in France will increase by 15% over 10 years, thanks in part to an increase in the number of low-cost Ouigo trains, according to one of its managers. “By 2034, we are going to increase the TGV supply by 25%: 15% in France and 10% internationally,” SNCF Voyageurs CEO Christophe Fanichet told La Tribune Dimanche.
Although user associations have spoken out against the lack of available TGV seats and the high cost of tickets, Christophe Fanichet recalled that “the increase in supply will be based in part on increasing the number of Ouigo trains to 30% of the total.” compared to 20% today. This will allow us to offer more attractive prices.”
The publicly traded company announced Friday its intention to increase its share of the “low-cost” service, which will increase from 38 to 50 trains and serve about 75 stations, up from 60 today.
TGV Ms is heading to Italy.
To expand its offer, SNCF has ordered 115 TGVs of the new generation, TGV M, which will be supplied by the manufacturer Alstom from the second half of 2025. One hundred examples will be destined for France and 15 for Italy, where the carrier announced on Wednesday its intention to settle from 2026.
“Our activities outside France already account for 30% of our turnover: 30 million travelers a year in nine countries, mainly through cooperation. My goal is to reach 50 million international travelers in the next ten years,” said Christophe Fanichet.
The 115 trains represent an investment of 4 billion euros, financed “from our own funds, without any government subsidies,” the company’s boss emphasized. Another billion will be spent on maintenance.
Attendance that promises to be “historic”
Regarding the summer marked by the Olympic and Paralympic Games (JOP) in France, Christophe Fanichet described it as already “historic” in terms of expected attendance. To meet demand, “this summer we (…) added 400,000 seats: 300,000 in the West, 100,000 towards the Alps. We have already sold 6.5 million intercity tickets, an increase of 10% over the year,” he rejoiced.
Including JOP, “we are recording 20% additional bookings for the first half of August, or 2 million tickets already sold. The weekend crossover gives way to a daily crossover, allowing event attendance during the day, with a 30% increase in movement during the week,” described Mr. Fanichet.
Source: Le Parisien
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