An increase of almost 8% in the railway page fee, which weighs 40% of the ticket price, is planned for 2024 and will increase the price of tickets. A further increase of 4% is also expected in 2025 and 2026
To use well-maintained rails in complete safety, it is necessary to finance the maintenance of the rail network. To do this, an increase in the railway page fee is planned for 2024 and will raise ticket prices.
On February 23, the Transport Regulation Agency announced a 8% increase for TER and 7.6% for TGV and Intercits. A further increase of 4% is also expected in 2025 and 2026 to respond to the inflationary context and the objective of improving the coverage of the full costs of infrastructure management by the railway pages, set by the performance contract between the State and SNCF Réseau.
Indeed, this tax paid by the SNCF to its subsidiary SNCF Rseau represents 40% of the ticket price for a TGV and 15% for a trip by TER. According to, Le Figarothis tax is raised 9euros on average for the TGV and reaches more than 8euros on a classic route. For a Paris-Marseille trip, for example, the SNCF must pay the sum of 17,000 euros for a train.
A tax on plane tickets in the pipes
Nevertheless, the profitability of the line or the state of its infrastructure vary the weight of the page fee on the cost of the journey. The daily also states that this tax is higher in France than elsewhere in Europe. In Italy, for example, it is 2.77 euros and it is 1.45 euros in Sweden.
Clment Beaune, the Minister of Transport announced Monday on RMC an increase in airline ticket taxes for 2024, in order to partially reduce this price difference between the train and the plane. It is not for the pleasure of taxing, but because it makes it possible to finance these investments in the train, specified the minister.
In addition, France is trying, without too much success for the moment, to have a tax on kerosene adopted at European level, again in an attempt to make the train, which is taxed, more attractive.