In 2023, occupancy rates have also reached record levels (77%), particularly on high-speed links.
The average price of high-speed train increased by 7% in 2023 compared to 2022 according to a document published Thursday by the Transport Regulatory Authority (ART), i.e. more than inflationbut he “remains lower in real terms than the 2019 level”.
Prices for TGV or Intercités trains, “which had fallen sharply with the health crisis, thus seem to be catching up”, explains the ART in its annual report. SNCF had promised not to increase its prices by more than 5% on average in 2023.
They have notably increased for the low-cost Ouigo offer, with a 10% increase according to ART, while at the same time annual inflation stood at 4.9%.
The Authority also noted that the higher the occupancy rate of trains, the more prices increase, as for example in June and July, “while they are weaker in January and February”.
In 2023, occupancy rates have also reached record levels (77%), particularly on high-speed links. Attendance increased everywhere while at the same time, the train supply fell slightly (-1%) according to the ART.
“With 108 billion passenger-kilometers transported (the sector’s benchmark unit), rail passenger numbers have reached a record level in France for the second consecutive year, 6% higher than the 2022 level”affirms the authority.
But the rail offer “is down slightly, in particular due to the social movements of March 2023”, she continues. Without the strikes, “the supply would have seen an increase of 2%”, underlines ART.
The lack of train availability is often pointed out in France while demand explodes and that trains fill up more and more quickly, especially in summer and during long weekends.
The craze for the train was confirmed in 2023 with a increasing attendance on regional trains (+7%) as well as on high-speed trains (+5%). Everywhere, TER and Intercités ridership far exceeds the level before the Covid-19 pandemic (+ 21%), with the exception of Ile-de-France, where it remains 6% lower.
The success of passenger trains is a European phenomenon since attendance has increased almost everywhere, with increases of up to 32% in Spain or 15% in Great Britain.
A dark side remains: the decline in rail freight, even more marked in France. The drop in 2022 was confirmed in 2023 (-17% of goods transported), particularly due to strikes against pension reform and the landslide in the Maurienne valley.
In Europe, the decline was only 8%. This new fall should further degrade the modal share of freight in goods transport, already low in France (11%) compared to the European average (17%).
