[ad_1]
With the two new lines inaugurated in July 2017, high-speed trains to the Atlantic seaboard transported 40 million people in one year, an increase of 20%. Traffic between Île-de-France and Bordeaux jumped by 70%
Exactly one year ago, on July 2, 2017, two new sections of high-speed lines were opened to commercial traffic. The 340 kilometers between Tours and Bordeaux, including 302 km at high speed, put Paris at 2:04 (instead of more than 3 hours) of the Gironde prefecture.
And the 214 km, including 182 km at high speed , between Le Mans and Rennes, allow access to Rennes in 1 hour 25 from the capital instead of 2 hours 05.
8 million travelers
As a birthday present, the SNCF was offered a boosted attendance towards the Atlantic seaboard. In one year, the TGV Atlantique transported 40 million pbadengers (TGV and Ouigo), which represents a growth of 20% (excluding the effect of the railway strike) according to the railway company. On their own, the Ouigo (low-cost trains) provided 10% of this traffic.
" It's not every day that we make 20% more traffic, we are very happy ! " welcomed Rachel Picard the Director General of Voyages SNCF and therefore responsible for TGV. According to the latter, this growth represents 8 million additional pbadengers.
Another reason for satisfaction: half of these 8 million additional pbadengers would be new customers who did not use rail before these line openings. In Ouigo, it is even a customer out of three who would not have traveled without this offer at low prices according to the company.
+ 70% of traffic to Bordeaux
With 5.5 million travelers between Ile-de-France and Bordeaux, (Ouigo and TGV combined), traffic has exploded by 70%, with a near-doubling of business travelers. Even Toulouse has benefited since a million people joined the "pink city" by train from the Paris region, a leap of 60%. The service to Brittany from the Paris region also benefited with + 27% of pbadengers to Rennes.
The summer season should boost these figures: 8 million pbadengers are expected on these lines at high speed during the season
To read: The SNCF is mobilized for the great summer starts in spite of the strike
What about the economic model?
"We are in the objectives that we had given, which were very ambitious " said Rachel Picard, referring to a dynamic that should resume after the end of the strike. According to the latter, the "rise in power of high-speed lines" is counted on three or four years .
However, the economic results should be known at the end July with the publication of half-yearly accounts. It is likely that the section between Tours and Bordeaux will lead to significant losses.
An unprecedented PPP
It will be remembered that this LGV is a public-private partnership. The Lisea consortium, with Vinci as a locomotive alongside the Caisse des Dépôts, built this railway for which it has a 44-year operating concession in exchange for the collection of tolls.
Tolls that the SNCF is particularly high, to the point that his boss, Guillaume Pepy, originally estimated losses of 180 million euros for a full year. The enthusiasm of the customers should certainly reduce these losses but the balance does not seem yet within reach of rail.
To read: The plan "Yes" of the SNCF to reconquer the TGV
Michel Waintrop
Source link
