Launched last year to allow young people to travel unlimited on the TER lines for a monthly subscription of 49 euros, the government acted the end of the “rail pass”. Funded up to 80 % by the State, the offer had not had the expected effect and few pass had been sold. Save save Receive the transport alerts The “rail pass” is finished. Only a year after its implementation, the government acted the end of the “rail pass” which will not be renewed in the summer of 2025, reports the echoes. The system, set up last year, allowed young people aged 16 to 27 to travel unlimited by train during the summer period for the months of July and August 2024 for a monthly subscription of 49 euros. If the trips concerned the regional TER lines, the TGV – Inoui or Ouigo journeys – were not included in the offer. Copied on the German model of the “Deutschlanticket”, it would seem that the “rail pass” did not arouse the expected enthusiasm. If the Ministry of Transport has not specified the exact reasons for this non-re-use, the fact remains that the number of passes elapsed, namely 235,376, according to figures from the government communicated in early September is far from expectations. Indeed, when it was launched in June 2024, the government hoped to sell nearly 700,000 subscriptions. The account is therefore far from being there. “The end result is mixed, with only a third of tickets sold in relation to forecasts,” said the ministry at the France-Presse agency first. And to add: “The current budgetary context does not extend an experiment of this type which does not reach its target.” Read also: Pass Rail: “I do not see the utility, I wonder if it is really profitable …” A measure at 15 million euros them as an experiment, the government had however had to get their hands on the wallet to finance the “rail pass”. Funded up to 20 % by the regions which are the organizing authorities for TERs, the State subsidized it to 80 % the 15 million euros in this new measure. While Emmanuel Macron said he was favorable in 2023 to the establishment of this new ticket, in particular with a concern to respond to the problems linked to inflation and to the fight against global warming, the former Minister of Transport Beaune had made the measure his workhorse. Replaced in his post by Patrice Vergriete, the new member of the executive was however more mixed on this offer for young people and had announced his intention to revise it downwards. Now not renewed by the executive, the Ministry of Transport called for “other more structural transformations” which must be carried out for the development of the offer and the improvement of the quality of service. “In addition, the regions are free to offer – and already do it for many – a specific pricing for young people and encourage the use of TERs,” he said. Receive our latest news every day, selecting the main news of the day. (Tagstotranslate) Transport (T) SNCF (T) Government
The rail pass for young people, it’s soon over
