Considered as one of the essential elements of its professional offering, the 11 Grand Voyageur Le Club lounges are receiving particular attention from SNCF Voyageurs. After the renovation of the Gare de l'Est lounge in January, the company has just reopened access to the one at Paris-Lyon following a nine-week facelift that cost almost a million euros. This was certainly necessary. It's our flagship on the TGV Méditerranée line, where we also have lounges at Lyon Part-Dieu and Marseille, all three of which have now been refurbished. Along with the one at Montparnasse, it's also the busiest, seeing 1,000 TGV Inoui or TGV Lyria passengers pass through each weekday, 35,000 per month and 400,000 per year. , explains Benjamin Huteau, the director of the TGV Inoui Sud-Est line, who specifies that " 75% are business commuters during the week, with peak passenger numbers in the morning and late afternoon ".
" Thanks to this work, we have gained 30 seats, bringing the total capacity to 160 seats, or 200 with standing room. ", he adds. This lounge is therefore the subject of new automatic passenger counting. While the data from this test is currently reserved for SNCF, it could be shared with travellers via its application tomorrow to warn them about whether or not this space, which is 600 m² across two levels, is overcrowded.
To each their own space according to the duration of their stay
" We have worked to clearly distinguish between the majority of travellers, who spend between 20 and 40 minutes in our lounges, and those just passing through – the 15 % to 20% travellers who stay for less than 15 minutes and are looking for quick, convenient services such as a coffee or a newspaper“That’s the idea,” explains Eric Peltzer, manager of the Grand Voyageur TGV Inoui lounges. As for the other passengers—those 15% travellers who settle in more than an hour before their train departs or to prepare for a meeting in the capital—the first floor is reserved for them. “ Travellers are primarily looking for peace and quiet here, to rest or work. », specifies Eric Peltzer. An expectation that now serves as a guiding principle for the redevelopment of the 11 lounges, which will be better divided between relaxation and work areas.
Paris-Lyon
Benefiting from an ideal position within Gare de Lyon, between halls 1 and 2, the lounge has gained 20 sq m.2 On the ground floor, this has helped to streamline passenger flow with, now, a separate entrance and exit. In parallel, two hot drinks dispensers have been installed, as well as a display unit for reading the daily press on-site or taking a few magazines aboard your train. On the first floor, a second reception desk directs travellers according to their needs, with SNCF staff also handling ticket changes during disruptions.
To work, clients have at their disposal several tables equipped with electrical sockets and USB ports, in addition to five privacy booths. These cabins are heavily used, with travellers able to stay in them for long periods, sometimes to hold video meetings. he notes. Hence, sometimes, a certain amount of waiting before use. In its relaxation area, the mezzanine offers several types of seating, including five comfortable sun loungers, with the risk of dozing off. And missing your train! The return of a light catering offer is planned for the second half of 2026 with pastries in the morning and a selection of fruit in the afternoon.
Gare du Nord's waiting room renovated for the new term
Each lounge is different from one station to another to adapt to the building, whether it is historic or contemporary in construction. A renovation takes 18 months, taking into account the administrative authorisations required. We must respect the soul of the station, such as this sculpted head dating from its construction in 1900, which we have moulded and duplicated in around ten copies in order to give more character and create a sense of rhythm throughout the long space of the 1er Floor ", explains Eric Peltzer.
The Gare du Nord station lounge, located opposite platform 14 and operated by Regus, is next on the list this summer. Without being able to touch its size of approximately 250 m2Neither is its capacity of 75 to 80 seats. The aim of this work will also be to better identify the spaces based on their uses. In the meantime, SNCF Voyageurs is looking for an alternative solution to accommodate travellers during its closure period, planned for mid-July to mid-September at the latest.
They will be followed by the Montparnasse station lounge in 2027, then those in Nantes and Rennes in 2028. These will then be 6 or 7 years old. There's a constant cycle of maintenance and renovation, because two million travellers a year for our 11 lounges, that takes its toll. And our best TGV customers are entitled to impeccable lounges. « concludes Eric Peltzer. TGV Inoui lounges are therefore a strong point for retaining Pro travellers in the face of the emergence of new rail competitors on the main French high-speed lines.
