© Kévin Comte / Capital
– Train ticket prices will increase by an average of 1.5% in 2025.
For several years now, the travelers complain about train ticket prices. Questioned by Ouest France on January 22, 2025, Alain Krakovitch, director of TGV-Intercités at SNCF Voyageurs, responded to the criticism. If he understands “this feeling”he finds it “a little unfair”. Indeed, if the prix will increase, on average by 1,5%or the level of inflation, they “progress half as much as [les] costs”. The boss assures that this was already the case the previous year. Thus, in 2024, “average prices had increased by 2.6%, while [les] costs had changed by 5%”.
According to Alain Krakovitch, this feeling of high prices is especially present among those who wait until the last moment to buy their tickets. He would like to see more focus on passengers who ride Ouigo, the SNCF’s low-cost trains, and on the five million beneficiaries of the Avantage card, 49 euros per yearwho benefit from discounted tickets throughout the year. And the prices associated with this card will remain unchanged in 2025, namely 49 euros for journeys of less than 1 hour 30 minutes, 69 euros for those from 1:30 to 3 hours and 89 euros for trips lasting more than 3 hours.
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Scalable pricing with yield management
Furthermore, the director of TGV-Intercités recalled that the railway company relies on the yield management to set prices. And to explain: “It allows us to offer low prices to people who buy their tickets well in advance or who travel at off-peak times.” These cheaper tickets are funded by those who take the train at peak times and on days of high demand. Yield management works using twenty price levels.
Furthermore, Alain Krakovitch recalls that “the notes are used to cover costs and investments”such as the purchase of new trains. THE new trainsin fact, were also promised by the train boss. The 115 trainsets are expected at the end of 2025-beginning of 2026. Likewise, the Ouigo trainsets will increase from 38 to 50 by 2027.
