If the punctuality of the rail operators invited on Wednesday by Trainline And just as they said, business travel in France is certainly on the right track. The round table organised by the European distribution platform got the ball rolling right on time - and even a little early. Absent from the debates, the SNCF was not really scratched by the participants, despite the theme chosen: "Opening up to competition: context and prospects in France". They did concede certain difficulties, particularly of a technical nature, Roberto Rinaudo nevertheless seems satisfied with the work carried out with...
If the punctuality of the rail operators invited on Wednesday by Trainline And just as they said, business travel in France is certainly on the right track. The round table organised by the European distribution platform got the ball rolling right on time - and even a little early. Absent from the debates, the SNCF was not really scratched by the participants, despite the theme chosen: "Opening up to competition: context and prospects in France". They did concede certain difficulties, particularly of a technical nature, Roberto Rinaudo nevertheless seems satisfied with the work carried out with the incumbent operator: " The project has been very complex, which is to be expected given that we are launching a commercial service in another country, with an Italian fleet. The infrastructure varies from one European country to another, and there are a lot of constraints, including roadworks and SNCF traffic. play as a team and to find the right solutions that have enabled us to keep the offer SNCF and to add the offer Trenitaliadesigned in a completely different way" says Managing Director of Trenitalia France.
For Roberto Rinaudo, the main aim is to work together to increase rail traffic: " It's a complex game, but the important thing is to find win-win solutions that improve the rail system. Because I think that the ultimate goal is to work to guarantee growth in the rail market. (...) Our aim is not to wage war on SNCF, but to be a complementary operator with the aim of developing the market. "And so far the figures seem to be proving Trenitalia's French boss right. According to thestudy unveiled by Trainline at this round table, since the arrival of Trenitalia on the Paris-Lyon route, average growth in passenger numbers of 58%. " The increase in capacity has therefore attracted more passengers since the introduction of competition." Christopher Michau, Trainline's European Operator Relations Manager, sums up the situation. " We've already had this experience in Italyand it was a great success" says Roberto Rinaudo.
If competition seems to stimulate traffic, opening up the railways would still have a "mixed" impact on the general public, according to the study published on Wednesday by Trainline. Indeed, while only 36% of French people say they know exactly what opening up to competition entails, 44% see the advantages, and 36% identify neither advantages nor disadvantages. Furthermore, one in five French people (19%) say they are opposed to this development. The fact that the public is still cautious about this may be partly explained by their mistrust of price trends. " You might think that the price would go down: on the contrary, the people surveyed feel that the price is going up. perception that rates will rise with the opening up to competition "notes Christopher Michau of Trainline. For the authors of the study, the respondents " clearly express their impatience with the trend in ticket prices: 40% of the French believe that this has undergone the worst change since the introduction of competition" . This perception is called into question by the focus on the Paris-Lyon route in the Trainline study, which notes a average price cut of 7%. In addition, almost one in two French people (44%) say that the service has improved over the last two years. As for theenvironmentThe study points to a certain paradox. While almost 7 out of ten French people (68%) believe that opening up the railways to competition is good news in the fight against climate change, 41% never take the environmental criterion into account in their choice of travel...
When asked about the link between business customers and opening up to competition, Christopher Michau (Trainline) explains: " It can be a bit complex to have several operators and to understand the differences between products. The aim is to simplify their lives, and that's what we're trying to do in France and in Europe." .
At Trenitalia, Roberto Rinaudo is confident in the role that business travellers will play in the company's results. " For us, BtoB is fundamental, especially on the Paris-Lyon route. In particular, we have introduced an Executive car with ten seats and maximum comfort, including another for catering. There is also a meeting room. During a trip from Paris to Lyon, I met a team who had just signed a major contract on board a train for the first time in their history! "Roberto Rinaudo is delighted. Admittedly, the Managing Director of Trenitalia France can do no better today than to describe some of the challenges that lie ahead. business fill rate quite satisfactory" . But he is confident that business travel will return, despite new working habits: " Yes, there is teleworking, but we are convinced that there is still a need to travel. And above all, there will be a modal shift that will see more and more business travellers using the train rather than other, more carbon-intensive means of transport." .
