The energy crisis also affects the railway sector. The electricity bill of SNCF Travelers should increase from 1.6 to 1.7 billion euros next year. It was announced the CEO of the public groupWednesday, September 14.
In front of this spike in energy prices and a probable rise in wages due to inflation, PDF of the SNCFJean-Pierre Farandou, is considering an upward revision of its pricing policy from 2023.
However, the railway company has not yet decided what impact this will have on the price of billets. Here are some explanations.
SNCF prepares the ground
In front of energy cost inflationthe SNCF, first French industrialist consumer electricitymay well increase its train fares in 2023.
Indeed, the CEO of the SNCF, Jean Pierre Farandouapparently looked at the accounts. Soaring energy prices should generate an additional cost of 300 million euros this year.
The public group will then spend 600 million instead of the 300 million he had budgeted before the war in Ukraine.
Despite the hedging system that allowed SNCF Travelers avoid buying most of its electricity at market price, the bill will double to around 600 million this year has declared Jean-Pierre Farandou during a hearing in the Senate.
Exactly, SNCF CEO had anticipated by buying its electricity before the price increase. This year, in 2022, the traveler will not suffer the consequences. No increase in train ticket prices in 2022.
But in 2023, the bill should be higher. Next year we are still covered, but a little less. With the current price, we would have at this stage an additional cost for electricity alone from 1.6 to 1.7 billion declared Jean-Pierre Farandou in the Senate on Wednesday.
Half will concern TER and the Transiliens in Ile-de-France, and should be compensated by local authorities. This makes several tens of millions per year for each of the regions, he added.
The other half will concern the TGV. If we were to pass on this increase directly on the price of the ticket, it would be necessary increase TGV tickets by 10%explained Jean-Pierre Farandou.
Nothing is decided yet
Obviously, SNCF will not increase its prices by 10%. But Do not worrywe will not pass 100% of the costs on to customers, promises the CEO, which does not, however, rule out increases.
are we going raise prices ? At which level ? Of how much ? That hasn’t been decided yet, he said.
And the CEO to add that the government is also following this issue closely. SNCF Voyageurs trains consume about 6 TWh of electricity per year, i.e. between 1 and 2% of national consumption. In the name of the sobriety plan, there will be no train cuts, also underlined Jean-Pierre Farandou.
Note that the CEO of SNCF had already warned us about this in May 2022. The cost of energy is rising. Salaries are likely to increase. The price of materials is rising. Construction costs increase, rail costs are rising.
It is still too early to say whether we can maintain this policy of very price moderate beyond 2022. We may have to pass on part of the costs from 2023.
But we are not there yet, we’ll see how things go ! Had, at the time, pointed out the boss of the SNCF.