Before his next departure, Jean-Pierre Farandou, CEO of SNCFcan be proud of the work it has accomplished. For the fourth year running, the rail group's results are in the black. The SNCF posted a net profit of €1.6 billion (€300 million more than in 2023) on sales of €43.4 billion, up 4.81TP3Q over one year. Business was driven by passenger transport, with sales of €20.3bn for SNCF VoyageursThis represents an increase of 5.8% for 130 million passengers in France and on European routes, and +9.6% in turnover for coach transport. Despite the increase in ticket pricesAccording to the CEO, "the French people's appetite for the train" has not waned, leading to excellent train occupancy levels, in excess of 80%, and generating a sharp increase in revenue. However, SNCF points out that it has had to make adjustments to its prices at the end of 2024 to maintain the occupancy dynamic. In parallel with the TGV France and Europe business, Transilien posted an increase in turnover of 4.4% for the Ile-de-France lines and TER in the regions of +7.5%. ... "Between 2019 and 2024, we will have carried nearly 15% more passengers on TGVs and more than 30% on TERs." said the CEO. As for the other subsidiaries, income from commercial leases of Gares & Connexions grew by 13% last year, and international passenger transport by 9.6%, thanks to new contracts signed by Keolis in the United States, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.
Nearly €11 billion invested in rail by 2024
Five years after the SNCF group adopted the status of a limited company, these good results will enable it to continue its mission of maintaining its 33,000 kilometres of track, and more particularly to carry out modernisation work of the oldest sections, which are more than 30 years old. By 2024, €10.8 billion will have been invested, "an all-time high" according to Jean-Pierre Farandou, half by SNCF and the rest by the State and local authorities. As well as maintaining the network, some of the funding is being channelled into thepurchase of new trains to increase capacity and meet demand.
Stronger competition on the various networks
The only fly in the ointment is the increase in service on the TGV network, which has yet to materialise as a result of the postponement to 2026 of the entry into service of the first Alstom's TGV M although this was initially planned for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Jean-Pierre Farandou's future successor will also have to manage the Increased competition on the TGV network with Trenitaliathe Renfe and tomorrow The Train and Proxima. But also on the Ile-de-France and regional TER networks with some of these players and already Transdev and RATP.
