To celebrate its tenth anniversary, Ouigo is giving its 38 low-cost TGVs a facelift. Already ultra-capacious, with capacity for 1,268 passengers - the equivalent of 6 B737-800 aircraft - they will soon be even more so. The interior refurbishment, scheduled to take place between 2025 and 2027, will add a few more seats by removing the bench seats and repositioning the luggage areas. A new interior design The SNCF is also announcing the addition of a power socket for each seat, an option that currently costs passengers €3. Hooks for hanging 8 bicycles, as well as a "convivial space" in cars 4 and 14 will also be added. The good news is that the flashy pink and blue of the trains should be toned down. " Over the last 10 years, Ouigo has grown exponentially. We're developing our offer while retaining our strength: offering low fares with optional services to suit everyone's tastes." says Jérôme Laffon, Director of Ouigo.
Although basic, this transport service is even used by the business customers with timetables on several key routes: Paris-Lyon, Paris-Marseille, Paris-Nantes, Paris-Bordeaux... So much so that Ouigo is finally available... in the TMC booking tools and travel agencies, with SNCF finally agreeing that it will no longer be distributed solely on its Ouigo and SNCFConnect websites. Drawing inspiration from low-cost airlines, Ouigo launched the Ouigo Plus package at the end of 2021, which includes, for €9 per adult, the addition of several options including a choice of seat, an extra piece of luggage, wifi and access to a portal for watching videos.
Ever more ambition
This TGV makeover will be completed by the allocation, from 2025, of 12 additional trainsets to this fleet through the reconfiguration of Inoui TGVs that have reached mid-life. This will enable the network to be extended to include new destinations such as Brest, Quimper, La Rochelle, Perpignan and Toulon from Roissy-CDG. SNCF intends to increase Ouigo traffic to 25% of TGV journeys by 2025, compared with 20% at present, and above all to double its traffic by 2030 to 50 million passengers a year, compared with 24 million in 2022. At the same time, overall TGV traffic is set to rise from 140 million to 230 million, with SNCF CEO Jean-Pierre Farandou aiming to double rail's share of passenger transport in France.
Ouigo also used internationally
With its attractive fares, this low-cost offer is also a way of standing up to new competitors such as Italy's Trenitalia and the Spanish Renfe which have gained a foothold in France following the opening up of high-speed lines to competition. It also aims to compete with other modes of transport such as coaches (Flixbus, Blablacar...) and car-sharing (Blablacar, Mobicoop...). With a fleet of 50 trains after 2025, Ouigo can also be seen as a weapon for penetrating neighbouring European markets, Spain since 2021 where these trainsets have already conquered 20% of the market and in Italy from 2026. This same success on the other side of the Pyrenees is increasingly irritating the Spanish government, which is no longer sparing in its criticism of SNCF, which is accused of selling at a loss while putting obstacles in the way of Renfe, the Spanish national company, in its development in France.
