The Transport Regulatory Authority (ART) approved on Thursday the increases in rail tolls for the years 2024, 2025 and 2026 of SNCF Réseau, contested by eight regions of France. ART “gives a favorable opinion subject to reservations on the 2024-2026 rail tolls proposed by SNCF Réseau, after their cancellation by the Council of State” in March for irregularities in the tariff-setting procedure, the regulator announced in a press release.
The Council of State had given SNCF Réseau, which is seeking resources to ensure its financial balance, until October 1 to review its copy. Eight out of twelve regions, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Centre-Val de Loire, Hauts-de-France, Ile-de-France, Occitanie, Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Grand-Est, are opposed to the increases demanded for the years 2024, 2025 and 2026 by the rail network manager to run the TER trains that they finance, in addition to the tickets and subscriptions paid by users.
8% increase in tolls
ART “validates almost all of the new pricing provisions but calls on SNCF Réseau to continue improving pricing”the regulator specifies in its press release. SNCF Réseau had promised to“adapt its consultation process to meet the transparency requirements formulated by the Council of State” in March. The increase in tolls reaches 8% on average for 2024 for TER, according to SNCF Réseau, after years of increases lower than inflation.
A subsidiary that manages and maintains the SNCF’s expensive rail network, this company’s objective by increasing its tolls was to achieve financial equilibrium by 2024. When it was created in 2015, SNCF Réseau (formerly Réseau ferré de France) inherited part of the SNCF’s giant debt, while the government took on 35 billion euros.
