After long and laborious discussions, the State and the regions sealed an agreement to experiment with the Rail Pass in July and August. Here is everything we know, to date, about the implementation of the system. Even if its terms of sale remain, for the moment, quite vague.
Who can benefit from it and when?
All young people under 27, regardless of the region where they live. In its forecasts, SNCF anticipates that around 700,000 people could buy it. The device will only be tested in July and August.
Which trains are affected?
The Rail Pass will be eligible for all TER and Intercités trains (Paris-Limoges-Toulouse, Bordeaux-Marseille, etc.), including night trains (Paris - Rodez, Paris Besançon, etc.). Beneficiaries will not, however, be able to use it to travel in an OUIGO Classic or High Speed Train, nor in an InOui TGV. In theory, a young person living in Hauts-de-France could take a succession of TER or Intercités trains to go to Marseille (Bouche du Rhône), Brest (Finistère) or Bordeaux (Gironde).
Will we be able to travel to Île-de-France?
This is the only region not to participate in the measure. The Transiliens, RER and metro are not included in the system. However, all Intercités and TER trains departing from or arriving in Paris or another Ile-de-France municipality are concerned. A young Rail Pass holder will therefore have to buy an additional metro or RER ticket if they have a connection that requires changing stations.
Read alsoRegional trains: TER youth offerings are increasingly successful
Please note that in the Paris region, due to the Olympic Games (July 26 - August 11), special pricing will be applied: single metro tickets will cost 4 euros and RER tickets 6 euros, between July 20, 8 september.
When will it go on sale and at what price?
“From the second half of June,” the Ministry of Transport is told, without giving further details. SNCF has already started working on a technical solution. The price is set at 49 euros per month. Then, young people will be able to travel unlimited. The SNCF and the ministry do not yet know whether it will nevertheless be necessary to reserve a ticket to ensure a place on a train.
Where to buy it?
The Rail Pass will most likely be put on sale on the SNCF Connect application. A meeting this Friday, April 5, between the ministry and the SNCF, should make it possible to specify the terms of sale. For the moment, no one knows if young people will be able to acquire it from a ticket office at a station. “We will do everything to facilitate access as much as possible,” the ministry is told.
SNCF Connect's competing sites (Trainline, Kombo, etc.) do not know whether they will be able to sell the Rail Pass. None were contacted in advance by the ministry or the regions. “We asked but no one was able to answer us,” says Kombo. We are in complete darkness! »