Interesting data about rail in France 12% fewer high speed train services, and some stations with even 20% fewer trains (all the red dots), BUT passenger numbers *up* (bigger trains, and filling them more) Source: www.autorite-transports.fr/actualites/l... - ThreadSky

jonworth.eu • 2 days ago

Interesting data about rail in France

12% fewer high speed train services, and some stations with even 20% fewer trains (all the red dots), BUT passenger numbers *up* (bigger trains, and filling them more)

Source: https://www.autorite-transports.fr/actualites/la-diminution-de-loffre-et-la-hausse-des-prix-nont-pas-freine-la-frequentation-des-trains-sur-lannee-2023/

Comments

wolfp.bsky.social•2 days ago

Possibly unintended consequence of the track access markup structure

jonworth.eu•2 days ago

Possibly unintended consequence of SNCF thinking like an airline and not really seeming to actually want to run many more trains. Oh and a consequence of always thinking of point to point, not as a network.

wolfp.bsky.social•2 days ago

Doesn't sound unintended

jonworth.eu•2 days ago

I find the whole thing really frustrating. I often travel Paris-Lille Flandres, and there are gaps of a couple of hours in the timetable, as they want to only run at times when they can fill a 16 carriage double deck TGV that has more than 1000 seats. I'd so prefer they ran a few smaller trains too!

wolfp.bsky.social•2 days ago

They pay ca. 45% lower market charges (ca. 25€ less per train km) to run 16 carriage train rather than 2 x 8 carriage

jonworth.eu•2 days ago

Sure, there's also a lower staff cost. But were SNCF like - for example - Deutsche Bahn they'd also run the off peak ones rather than scrapping those.

rvdborgt.bsky.social•2 days ago

Indeed, SNCF would rather run fewer trans fully booked than run more trains not fully booked. Too bad if you didn't book at least 2 weeks in advance. Or 2 months for certain weekends.

wolfp.bsky.social•2 days ago

This seems like their yield management system isn't working properly rather than anything else

rvdborgt.bsky.social•1 day ago

I'm not sure about that. My impression is that their purpose is to maximise profit, rather than transport as many people as possible while still earning a profit.

wolfp.bsky.social•1 day ago

The rule with yield management is 'not to sell for less, what you could see for more' and generally profit maximising means you probably have some spare inventory to sell on the day for €loads to someone desperate, unless you have charged an awful lot already

jonworth.eu•2 days ago

Right. Or *even if* you can find a seat, the train doesn't necessarily go at the time of day you need it!

alkinooskanaris.bsky.social•2 days ago

This is SNCF‘s agenda at work. They have explicitly stated that this is exactly what they want and that’s the concept they have designed their new trains around…

jonworth.eu•2 days ago

Sure - and it is nice to have stats to back that up. But as a passenger it's crap as you then often do not have a train when you need one, because there are too many gaps in the timetable.

reetspetit.bsky.social•2 days ago

Is this since the ban on internal flights?

mrsnose.bsky.social•2 days ago

No there is no such ban in France

reetspetit.bsky.social•2 days ago

None whatsoever?

jonworth.eu•2 days ago

There is this vague no flights under 2.5 hours rule, but it managed to eliminate something ridiculous like 6 daily flights. The whole thing was a PR wonder, but resulted in pretty much no practical change whatsoever as there were so many loopholes.

mrsnose.bsky.social•2 days ago

Wow I'm learning it here 😂 But yes I confirm people fly internally just as it didn't exist

briantrumpet.bsky.social•2 days ago

🤔 https://www.euronews.com/green/2022/12/02/is-france-banning-private-jets-everything-we-know-from-a-week-of-green-transport-proposals

jonworth.eu•2 days ago

Yeah but it's next to useless. I looked at it when I wrote this: https://jonworth.eu/if-spain-wants-to-introduce-a-short-haul-flight-ban-heres-how-to-avoid-the-traps-of-frances-ban/ It's a masterful case of pr over substance.

briantrumpet.bsky.social•2 days ago

Aha, thanks Jon.

vanbesien.social•2 days ago

If they are running less trains that means that they should not block new entrants with the excuse that there is no capacity...

Comments

Posting Rules

Reply