He was to be a French response to the Deutschland Ticket to 49 euros per month launched by the German government to stimulate demand for trains and public transport. French President Emmanuel Macron and his then transport minister, Clément Beaune, had promised in 2023 a reduced-rate France rail pass. It would have made it possible to take the train anywhere in France for a monthly pass. " The idea is to have something similar to what has been done in Germany and other European countries: open to all, with unlimited travel to encourage use of the train." said Clément Beaune, the minister at the time, in September 2023.
Governments change, and with them the ideas of their predecessors. The Attal government and its Minister for Transport, Patrice Vergriete, seem to have definitively buried the project in its initial form.
The facts, Pass rail France was immediately met with hostility from the regions. The regions already indicate that they heavily subsidise their regional rail networks, for which users pay a tiny fraction of the actual cost. The France rail pass would therefore have contributed to creating an additional hole in the regions' finances.
In the end, an agreement was reached. But it is far from the original idea of a rail pass for everyone. The Minister Delegate for Transport has indicated that the scheme will not be sold to the general public. under 27 years of age. The price has been set at €49. And that it will only be valid for two months. With the vague promise of extending it over time and opening it up to other categories of the population. one day, perhaps...
And yet.., such a pass would have offered travellers in France a highly attractive transport alternative. Including for business travellers.
A formula that works in Germany
According to figures from theGerman Transport Association (VDV), the Deutschland Ticket is used by 11 million people.
Mostly by city dwellers. That's right, 20% to 30% of people living in large towns and cities have a Deutschland Ticket. This has contributed to reduce car journeys by 5%.
There is, however, a shadow over the rather positive picture painted by Deutschland Ticket. According to the VDV, sales losses amounted to 2.3 billion euros between May and December 2023. And they could reach 4.1 billion by 2024. A figure that could frighten the French government...
