2024-09-02 20:18:25
The rail pass, a monthly subscription that allows 16 to 27-year-olds unlimited train travel in July and August, is undergoing its first review. The Department for Transport said on Monday that 235,376 copies had been sold.
In total, he said, nearly 2.4 million zero-euro notes were given. Thus, the rail pass launched in early June allows more than 230,000 young people to travel unlimited times on regional trains (TER) or Intercités, for a monthly subscription fee of 49 euros. The TGV (including Ouigo), the most expensive and popular train, was excluded from the system proposed by the government in early June.
“We must not forget our youth”
“Behind the encouraging figures achieved with this first rail pass trial, I think of all the young people who have been able to travel this summer and discover our territory with their families and friends,” said Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete. “This is also an opportunity for me to remind everyone that we must not forget our young people in the priorities of our transport policy,” he added.
The measure costs 15 million euros, 80% of which is financed by the state and 20% by the regions (TER organizing bodies). Some of them were also reluctant to sponsor the initiative before they joined. Île-de-France, with its Navigo pass costing 86.40 euros per month, remains excluded.
Far below expectations
The government expected 700,000 passes to be sold when they were released, far more than the number that ultimately sold, but according to the Ministry of Transport, the 700,000 figure was simply the “maximum potential of customers who might subscribe to the pass,” not a target.
The French regional association would not comment on the figures. “For us, the rail pass is one of the commercial measures, because we know that we already have many regional offers for young people,” reacted an expert from the regional authorities association.
The French Association of Regions wants to carry out a qualitative survey to find out “how many young people are persuaded” to take the train with a rail pass. The first assessment will be published at the end of September or early October, the expert said, “TER has an average of 1.3 million trips per day, a third of which are made by young people”. He pointed out that this figure reflects 2.4 million trips made with rail passes in two months.
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