More than 8 million tickets sold for July and August, 10% more than 2019, the last reference year.
Good news for the SNCF, which is pushing it to make new places available to users.
"
We are going to put 500,000 additional places on sale in the face of this success
", announced the CEO of the SNCF, Jean-Pierre Farandou, interviewed this Thursday, June 23 in the morning of France 2.
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To do this the group will have to add oars "
we make double compositions with two oars at the same time
", he explained.
An obligation in the face of the current saturation of the machines: "
we are on the block
", he warned.
The trains are indeed already full on the days of major departures.
"
But there are still places
" outside of these periods, wanted to reassure the CEO, who took the opportunity to salute the work of the railway workers who will take turns this summer to allow the French to go on vacation.
These good figures should enable SNCF to balance its accounts.
"
We hope so
," said Jean-Pierre Farandou, after a first half in the green.
The CEO is therefore ambitious in the years to come.
He wants nothing less than to double the number of passengers and freight transported over the next 10 years.
A solution in line with the ecological transition and which could create 100,000 jobs according to him.
A costly objective nevertheless, with investments of the order of 85 to 100 billion euros, but which is "
consensus
" on the political level according to the CEO.
Stable prices in 2022
Other good news for the French who have planned to take the train this summer to go on vacation: prices should not increase before the end of the year.
This was confirmed by Jean-Pierre Farandou.
The issue was particularly burning given the rise in electricity prices.
The French rail operator is indeed one of the largest consumers of this source of energy, necessary to run the machines.
Before the recent inflation, the SNCF thus spent one billion euros each year.
Luckily, the group was able to anticipate: "
There will be no increase in costs in 2022, because we have already bought our electricity
", explained Jean-Pierre Farandou, "
but in 2023 the question arises
", he warned, however.
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A future increase that he hopes measured: "
we are aiming for accessible prices
", he recalled.
With success it seems.
The group enjoys record sales this year.
More than 8 million tickets would have been sold for July and August, 10% more than 2019;
last reference year.
