As the government increased health restrictions and traffic limits to prevent the spread of Covid-19, SNCF was reducing the supply of available trains.
But Emmanuel Macron's announcements on the stages of deconfinement and in particular the end of the restriction on interregional travel on Monday, May 3, suggests a turnaround and the group is adapting accordingly.
Read also: Deconfinement: SNCF will sell 5 million tickets at low prices from today
For TGVs, the strengthening of health measures had dropped their number to 4 out of 10 of normal activity.
From May 3, this figure gradually rises and should reach 8 TGV out of 10 on average from Friday, May 7.
The group even plans a 100% activity for weekends in May and on the Atlantic and South-East axes during the May weekends.
The evolution is similar for intercity trains.
Falling to 50% in recent months, activity has risen to 75%.
Regarding international journeys, however, the increase is more measured and variable, depending on the health measures taken by the various States.
The variation is less brutal for Regional Express Trains (TER), whose offer had hardly changed.
This was always equal to 80% during the period of strengthened sanitary measures and currently represents 90% of normal.
Win back customers
Another gradual return to normal is the time it takes to cancel and get a refund for your ticket.
During the Covid crisis, SNCF offered to exchange and refund tickets until the last moment.
From May 10, the exchange and refund without charge can no longer take place during the last three days before departure.
At the same time, the rail group is launching a major offensive to try to attract customers.
5 million low-cost tickets will go on sale from today until May 19.
These will be distributed among 3,000 different destinations and will allow travel for a maximum of 39 euros.
For children under 12 a single price of 8 euros will be in place until August 29.
Read also: The Court of Auditors skeptical about the management of stations
At the same time, SNCF is trying to set itself apart from other low-cost means of transport.
Overbooking, the fact of selling more tickets than there are seats, widely practiced by airlines, will be abandoned.
