It is a small figure but, when applied to the number of kilometers, it becomes a significant sum. With a rate of €0.29 per kilometer, the Paris-Tours route is the most expensive in France. It is surpassed by the Lille-London (€0.39) and Paris-Brussels (€0.36) connections. This is explained by the association UFC Que Choisir in its survey on the fares charged by SNCF for 91 TGV routes, published on Wednesday, March 6, 2024.
To do this, the association based its analysis on the fares of each line (TGV Inouï, Lyria, and Eurostar) for a passenger aged 30 to 59 with a one-way ticket in second class purchased on Friday, March 15 for the first available train from 5 p.m. UFC Que Choisir chose the lowest fare offered. It was then divided by the terrestrial distance between the departure and arrival cities. This calculation method allowed for ranking the price per kilometer of TGV routes.
“The people from Tours are being taken for a ride”
The average price of a high-speed line, regardless of duration, was set at €0.20 per kilometer in 2024. For the TGV, the shorter the duration, the higher the price per kilometer. “Logic: in these scenarios, the various fixed costs (equipment, tolls, staff, etc.) are easier to amortize,” explains UFC Que Choisir. Thus, for a journey of less than an hour, the average price per kilometer is €0.23. Between 1 and 2 hours, it is €0.20, and for journeys between 2 and 3 hours, it is €0.19. These prices are far from those practiced on the Paris-Tours line.
“The people from Tours are being taken for a ride,” denounces David Charretier, president of the passengers’ collective on the Paris/Tours TGV line. “You can even find cheaper fares between Paris and Bordeaux than between Tours and Paris.” For the representative of the users, train passengers are paying for “the high-speed line between Tours and Bordeaux. It’s a line that is in deficit.” Unlike the connection between Tours and Paris, which is “profitable.”
Prices, time… everything is going up
Because when you pay for your train ticket, you also pay a part of the infrastructure. “There is a camaraderie between SNCF Réseau (which is in charge of maintaining and investing in the network) and SNCF Voyageur (which sells transport tickets). The latter must keep 60% of its profits for infrastructure renovation. They let loose on this,” explains Vincent Degeorge, regional representative of the National Federation of Transport Users’ Associations.
It’s worth noting that for this year 2024, the Paris-Tours route saw an increase of €0.03 per kilometer compared to 2023. This increase goes hand in hand with the increase in travel time. According to UFC, TGV trains take ten minutes longer than last year. “They let the Paris-Bordeaux trains go by, which are direct, so they slow down the Paris-Tours trains,” explains the spokesperson for the users who calls on local politicians for “a united front against this pricing madness.”
