Three years after its arrival in France, in December 2021, and after three million passengers transported, the Italian company adds Paris – Marseille, to its Paris – Milan and Paris – Lyon connections. Kicks off June 15.
The first foreign operator to benefit from the liberalization of high speed on French soil, one cold morning in December 2021, at Lyon station, Trenitalia pushes its lights a little further… even though electricity has long since replaced steam. From June 15, the Italian railway company will launch its Frecciarossa from Paris to Saint-Charles station in Marseille, competing on this major commercial path with SNCF and ahead of the Spanish Renfe.
Four round trips per day
Tuesday morning, in Paris, the transalpine carrier took stock of these first three years and announced both this new line and the upcoming relaunch of traffic between the French capital and Milan. In three years, at 300 km/h, the “red arrows” have transported “nearly three million customers, over more than four million kilometers traveled”welcomed the president of Trenitalia France, Marco Caposciutti. Growth of around 40% per year, with “97% punctuality”and a clientele for 50% business.
Trenitalia prides itself on good indicators. 98% of customers satisfied with the service offered, 97% of travelers who indicate they want to use high-speed trains again, the same percentage sharing their satisfaction with the quality-price ratio. With a “extremely simple pricing policy”claims the commercial director, Fabrice Toledano, and “flexible. All tickets are modifiable”. Success is there, “our choices were the right ones”observe Marco Caposciutti.
Grow to find profitability
Trenitalia does not yet make money on its French services. Particularly handicapped by the major landslide that occurred in the Maurienne valley on August 27, 2023, which cut the rail link between France and Italy. Its Paris – Lyon – Milan then showed 80% occupancy (50% in Paris – Lyon), the blow was severe. For its president, regarding “financial balance, it is today very difficult to project in what year we will reach it”more “to support growth, several new features are necessary”.
This line will connect the three largest cities in France. We are waiting to double our customers
The first and main is the service to Marseille, from June 15, with four round trips per day, a journey of approximately 3 hours 20 minutes. Five to nine Frecciarossa trains will be assigned there, 50 hires made. “This is a very important step in the development of Trenitalia in Franceunderlines his boss. This line will connect the three largest cities in France. We expect to double our customers.” The second novelty is commercial – a sponsorship system which is worth a 10% discount on the price of tickets -, the third is technical, the approval for the circulation of multiple trains (in pairs, essentially), on days high demand.
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Trenitalia
Other projects in the pipeline
At the same time, the company recorded good news on Tuesday morning. At 9:33 a.m., ticket sales on Paris – Milan were relaunched and circulation will resume on 1is April 2025, nineteen months after the Maurienne accident. “The work was very difficult, but we are ready”with trains stopping at Chambéry, Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne and Modane, in France, and at Oulx and Turin, in Italy. Serving ski resorts is at the center of these choices.
On the other hand, Trenitalia remains discreet about its future projects, hiding behind a “very difficult rail market” and his will “to go step by step”. Just barely, Fabrice Toledano confesses that the carrier “began studies on different relationships”. On several occasions, the Italian has been credited with the intention of linking Paris to Amsterdam and Berlin – something the SNCF-Deutschbahn alliance has recently done. More recently, to consider a Nice – Milan connection via Genoa.
As for the Languedoc-Roussillon side, between Lyon, Marseille and Barcelona, Spain where it also runs? “In 2025, there will be no other destination”insists Marco Caposciutti.
Where is Renfe?
The Marseille – Lyon – Paris axis is the major development project of the Iberian company Renfe, in France, which arrived in France seven months after its transalpine sister. It has been struggling for months with the approval procedure for the new train it needs, the Talgo S-106, to put this line into service.
Contacted Tuesday morning, in the wake of Trenitalia's announcements, Renfe did not respond. Languedoc-Roussillon is interested in the subject, to the extent that the extension of the company's current services from Barcelona to Paris would offer a high-speed alternative to the SNCF. Competition and therefore a potential drop in prices.
