It’s the start of the year and time for price reviews. The director of TGV and Intercity trains, Alain Krakovitch, announced the expected price increase on Wednesday January 8. The price of TGV tickets will increase by 1.5%, which corresponds to the level of inflation forecast by the Banque de France for 2025.
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“This represents an increase of less than 1 euro per ticket, estimates the boss of the TGV, more like 70 cents. » It will be concentrated on the most expensive tickets. The increase will not apply to the first prices – the cheapest tickets on Ouigo for travelers who book well in advance, or the cheapest tickets on the Avantage card. But the increase will be significant on the most expensive tickets, often on the most popular destinations and dates. It will then be between 1 and 7 euros.
On Intercity trains (like the Paris-Clermont-Ferrand or the Paris-Limoges-Toulouse), which are not high-speed, it is the State which sets the prices. The increase in fares for these so-called “territorial balance” trains will be higher than inflation, at 1.9% on average.
Victims of their success
The step could have been much higher, assures the TGV boss. High-speed train operating costs are galloping faster than prices. Between the tolls paid to run trains on the rails operated by SNCF Réseau (a subsidiary of SNCF), and the uncertainties over energy prices, he estimates that his costs will increase by 3%. “We will cover half of this additional cost”indicates Mr. Krakovitch, who recalls that TGVs are not subsidized by the State. They represent an essential part of the profit of the SNCF, which is redirected by the State towards the maintenance of the rail infrastructure and catenaries, as well as towards the modernization of signaling.
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