At the beginning of March, the 52e and 53e floors of the Montparnasse tower in Paris. The occasion was the inauguration of the new Morning Coworking space, a place where 350 people can work with an uninterrupted view of the eponymous station. Enough to meet the needs of mobility expectations business travellers, but also for real estate flexibility on the part of companies. Like Morning Coworking, more and more shared office operators are looking to set up near stations to take advantage of the flows generated by the rail network. The major hotel chains are not to be outdone, creating or fitting out spaces to provide the best possible reception for business customers looking to avoid unnecessary journeys and optimise their work schedules, either alone or with colleagues.
With 21 % of French people working on the move, the SNCF is at the crossroads of travel in France. This has prompted the railway company to develop workplaces for all those business travellers who make up a large proportion of its Main Line customers. In addition to the dozen or so Grand Voyageur lounges, the SNCF has equipped around ten major stations with a business centre managed, following a call for tenders, by Regus - at Paris-NordBordeaux, Le Mans, Amiens, Nancy and Lille Flandres -by Multiburo - in Paris-Lyon and Paris-St-Lazare - and Weréso in Marseille St-Charles. Multi-service business centres smaller than 2,500 m2 which can be used for a few hours or several months.
As part of its "1,001 Stations" plan, SNCF is setting up coworking spaces of between 70 and 250 m2 on the first floor of certain stations in the Paris region.
Premium lounge
The need for mobility, comfort and services for travellers is prompting other private players to get involved. This is the case of Bonport, which opened a premium lounge at Lille Flandres station, accessible to all at a competitive rate of less than €9. Other sites are expected to follow in France. In Paris, just a few minutes' walk from Saint-Lazare station, the Châteauform' group inaugurated Châteauform' City Liège Saint-Lazare in the spring. This was the result of the transformation of the private mansion housing its head office into a contemporary venue with modular rooms for meetings focusing on innovation and creation. The theme ties in with the mansion's artistic past, when it was the home of art collector John Bowes.
2 hours 20 minutes a day on public transport
With 32 % of Ile-de-France commuters losing more than 1 hour 30 minutes on their home-work journeys, the SNCF is paying particular attention to the Île-de-France region. "A specific project has been set up to target people who spend more than 2 hours 20 minutes a day commuting, to offer them solutions for working close to home.This is why we have created a number of "third places"," explains Thomas Havas, head of marketing and operations at Retails & Connexions, the Gares & Connexions subsidiary that markets station spaces. Third places" are intended for them, i.e. sites of 1,000 m2 The new building will provide around 2,000 square metres of individual or shared offices, together with meeting rooms. Property developer Nacarat is developing all of its facilities in this way. a network of third places which will then be managed by specialist operators. The first will be inaugurated at the end of 2019 in the car park of the Brunoy SNCF station, followed by openings in Poissy, St-Michel sur Orge and Houilles. The potential is estimated at between 50 and 100 sites in or near stations. "The aim is to save time for mobile workers and to relieve congestion on the Transilien lines at peak times."he adds.
As specialists in business centres, Regus and Multiburo have a long-standing interest in railway location opportunities, both in Paris and in the regions.
As part of its "1,001 Stations" plan, the SNCF is also developing coworking spaces ranging from 70 to 250 m2 on the first floor of certain stations in the Paris region. Leased to shared office managers, they are already operational in Neuilly-Porte Maillot, Clichy-Levallois, Fontainebleau, Drancy, Gagny and Bougainvilliers. "These sites are attractive to start-ups, young companies and the self-employed. The aim is to have 30 to 50 sites for optimum regional coverage."says Thomas Havas. Finally microworking spacesfrom 10 to 50 m2 equipped with wifi, are being created so that passengers can work "on the go" while waiting for their commuter train. Around fifty sites are already accessible in the Île-de-France region.
A stone's throw from the tracks
As the world leader in business centres, Regus has long taken an interest in these rail-based opportunities. Launched in 2010, a partnership with the SNCF gives Regus a presence in several stations, in particular Paris-Nord, where the Grand Voyageur lounge is also managed by the group. In Lyon, several of its office spaces are located in in the business district surrounding La Part-Dieu station. But today, Regus is diversifying its offer with smaller surface areas, well suited to stations in the Île-de-France region. "We will be managing the site currently under construction in the car park at Brunoy station in Essonne. In partnership with the SNCF and local authorities, the concept will be able to be duplicated at other stations where there is a needexplains Christophe Burckart, Managing Director of Regus France. Under the Regus Express brand, we also offer station services for travellers who want to work quickly in coworking spaces while they wait for their train, as well as private office and room hire, domiciliation, telephone secretarial services, etc."
Its competitor Multiburo has also decided to create a subsidiary specifically dedicated to railway stations. "We are responding to new ways of working and the democratisation of nomadism. With the renovations undertaken by SNCF Gares & Connexion, stations are becoming more and more mobile. real places to live with shops, bars and restaurants..."says Stéphanie Auxenfans. And Multiburo's Managing Director added: "We were one of the first to open an office space at Paris-Gare de Lyon in 2004. Accessible via the historic Horloge Tower, the site now covers 3,000 m2".
Lost and found offices
Since then, interest in railway stations has continued unabated, with a site close to those of Lyon Part-Dieu and Lille Flandres, which has just doubled in size with additional meeting rooms. At the end of 2018, the Gare Saint-Lazare opened a 2,200 m2Another is due to open in the autumn, in Paris Montparnasse. The 1,600 m2This new business centre will include 35 private offices, 30 coworking spaces and 18 meeting rooms, all located near tracks 1 and 2. In order to fill the space, Multiburo is approaching companies in Nantes, Rennes, Angers and Bordeaux. "This will save these companies from having to look for offices in the capital."explains Stéphanie Auxenfans. To promote and showcase these different areas, a partnership has just been set up with the Oui.sncf booking website to offer business travellers special rates.
With the proliferation of coworking spaces in major cities, particularly Paris, location plays a key role in attracting a maximum number of tenants.
With the more and more coworking spaces in major cities, particularly Paris, location plays a key role in attracting visitors a maximum number of tenants. Especially as these spaces are attracting not just SMEs and VSEs, but more and more companies with several hundred employees, and even subsidiaries of major groups. "Professionals move around a lot, so being located close to train stations with good metro links is an advantage."says Clément Alteresco, the founder of Morning Coworking. His group, which manages 21 sites in the Paris region, is also interested in the planned extension of the Gare du Nord station, where coworking spaces will be set up. At the same time, two sites not far from Saint-Lazare station will be opening very soon.
A subsidiary of the Bouygues and Accor groups, Wojo is similarly interested in the flows generated by major rail lines, with sites near Lyon and Saint-Lazare stations in Paris, and Lyon Part-Dieu station.
In addition to these 3,000 to 9,000 m2Wojo is developing smaller Wojo Corners in Accor Group establishments, starting at 100 m2but also its Wojo Spot nomad offer. Travellers can work for a few hours in a designer environment while benefiting from the hotel's services. One of the first Wojo Spots was created in the Mercure Montparnasse hotel, opposite the train station. "These different locations are a response to the nomadic nature of employees and to changes in management methods. More and more company directors are moving towards this form of flexibility. The location of prime sites and their proximity to railway stations, both in France and in Europe, is important for the ease of travel they generate."says Stéphane Bensimon, CEO of Wojo, who is also in talks with the SNCF.
Other hotel groups are banking on this nomadic lifestyle to build loyalty or attract new customers. If the new Okko Hotels Paris Gare de l'Est has 170 rooms located directly on Quai N°1, as well as three meeting rooms and, most importantly, a 420 m2 where to plug in a computer during the day between appointments For its part, Marriott offers workspaces in its hotels in strategic business locations, such as the Courtyard Gare de Lyon, located at the foot of the station, or the Sheraton Paris Airport, which overlooks the Roissy TGV station. However, the group has not yet taken the step of creating real coworking spaces within its establishments.
