Faced with criticism of its high fares and to counter the arrival of competitors on its most profitable routes, SNCF intends to push the development of Ouigo as far as possible, its low-cost brand launched in 2013. This should account for a third of TGV traffic by 2030, thanks to an expected increase in passenger numbers of 30%. Representing an investment of €600m, the measures put in place to achieve this were detailed once again on Thursday by the rail company at Paris-Lyon station.
Firstly, there will be a major expansion of the fleet, with the introduction of 12 additional trainsets until 2027 to support the 38 trains currently in operation. Ten TGVs that have reached mid-life, i.e. more than 15 years of service in France, will also be completely renovated. This process will enable SNCF to increase the capacity of the trains to 1306 seats, compared with the current 1288.
New services including Lyon-Bordeaux via Massy TGV
The second element of growth will be the launch of new services under the blue and pink colours of Ouigo on 14 December. Already announced, a Paris-Hendaye route will be opened via Bordeaux, Dax, Bayonne, Biarritz and Saint-Jean-de-Luz. And the Paris-Rennes route will be enhanced with a 3th daily return. In December 2026, an equivalent service will be offered on the Paris-Lyon route, from Friday to Monday inclusive. The SNCF has not ruled out other openings, confirming that it has several projects such as " an increase in its service on the Paris-Strasbourg route, the creation of Ouigo services between Paris and Lille, and even other regional cities ".
Finally, the future Bordeaux-Lyon service, which will take around 5 hours via Massy TGV, will finally be operated by Ouigo from mid-2027, with one daily rotation also serving Saint-Pierre-des-Corps, Poitiers and Angoulême. The confirmation of this route, which had recently been leaked to the press, has aroused the discontent of users and elected representatives in the Auvergne and Limousin regions, who have felt abandoned since the discontinuation in 2014 of the Lyon-Bordeaux Intercity service via the Massif Central.
Greater comfort on the new Ouigo TGVs
New services will also be offered to passengers. The site's Ouigoswap system, which allows passengers to resell unused Ouigo tickets (including non-refundable tickets), has been extended to all Ouigo lines. Above all, the new Ouigo TGVs in the fleet, as well as those that will be renovated, will offer greater interior comfort, particularly in terms of seating. This improvement should appeal to business travellers, more and more of whom are boarding Ouigo trains due to the increase in the number of routes and frequencies on the main routes. Each passenger will also have a free USB-C or electric socket at every seat, which will also make it easier to work during the journey.
More and more corporate travel agencies are integrating Ouigo into their rail offer, while the SNCF has made it possible to sell Ouigo to other distribution channels. On the strength of these changes and this ambitious growth strategy, SNCF plans to have 33 million passengers travelling on its Ouigo services by 2030, 8 million more than in 2024.
