Railway Industry in France

TGV 1

1. Industry Overview:

In France, one of the most popular transport modes is train.  SNCF is France’s national railway, providing high speed, overnight and local services in France and beyond into Spain, Switzerland and Italy.

>> http://www.tgv-europe.com/en

Types of Train in France:

01-TGV

02-Lunea

03-Teoz

04-TER

06-Intercites

Railway industry is quite similar to airline industry, as it sells seats for a transport from an origin to a destination. The price depends on journey, class, and date of booking. Thus, railway industry can be placed in Quadrant 2, where its service has variable prices for a predictable duration. This industry also has the appropriate characteristics to apply revenue management strategies. Those characteristics are:

– Inflexible capacity: the number of seats on a train is fixed

– Variable and uncertain demand: the demand is different depending on the time of day, day of week, origin-destination pairs, and purpose of travel

– Perishable inventory: the unoccupied seat cannot be inventoried, and the revenue of that seat is missed

– Low marginal cost and high production cost

– Product can be sold in advance

– Heterogeneous customers with different segments, varying by age, purpose of travel, independent or group, etc.

However, there are some differences that make the revenue management of railway industry is little bit different than that of airline industry.

More difficult to forecast demand and to have the accurate number of travelers on a service: no check-in procedure, open tickets (rail pass) generally allow passengers to travel on any rail service, walk up tickets are very common (a large number of passengers purchase their tickets on the day from the station)

Less difficult to deal with overbooking: passengers are often allowed to stand during train journeys hence increasing capacity beyond the number of seats

———

 2. Space

Railway industry defines space implicitly.

Normally, a train has two classes: Economy (2nd Class) and Comfort (1st Class). The seating options and services are different for each class. The price is same for different seating options in a class.

 Economy Class:
01-Class2
 Comfort Class:

01-Class 1

Trains, especially TGV has “TGV bar”, which provides a wide selection of meals and sweet snacks available for purchase. Additionally, the TGV bar offers films on DVD, magazines, games for children, Paris Metro tickets, even USB sticks for purchase. There is also a rolling snack cart that comes to the customers’ seats.

01-TGV Bar

For additional revenue, TGV offers Premium service includes 1st Class seat, meal service, and access to the TGV lounge at the train stations.

Personally, I would charge difference fares for different seating options in each class. A group will want to pay more to have a Club 4 seat. A couple will want the Duo seat or Club 2 seat. And an individual traveler will want a solo seat. As the number of seat are fixed, we can charge for each option, rather than a “first comes first served” policy.

I’m also thinking about a mini-cinema on train, especially overnight train. Normally, the overnight train have load factor less than 80%, so the train can use one car to transform into a mini-cinema with a projector and a screen. When the train is busy, the car will be transformed in normal guest car again.

——

3. Time

Railway industry defines time implicitly.

Although the duration of a journey is determined, the railway industry sells a journey rather than specifically selling time. In addition, there may be issues that cause the increase/decrease in duration of the journey.

However, the railway industry also tries to sell time explicitly with the Rail pass. With Rail pass, customers can have unlimited travel on the national rail network of France for a fixed number of days. The choices are 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9-day pass within a one-month period. Travel days may be used consecutively or non-consecutively.  Thus, the fare becomes rate-per-day, not anymore rate-per-trip.

>> http://www.raileurope.com/rail-tickets-passes/france-pass/index.html

The industry can sell time explicitly by providing Rail pass with weekly or monthly unit. However, I think it will not be effective as it makes the demand forecasting much more complicated.  Half-day unit won’t make sense as a trip is normally more than 3 hours.

——–

4. Price

Tickets can be purchased 60 to 120 days in advance depending on the route.

Ticket discounts are based on advance purchase, availability, and certain restrictions. Everyone is eligible to receive discounted fares by purchasing an Economy or Comfort class ticket in advance. Youth and seniors can enjoy specific discounts as well. Discounted tickets are available for youth (under 26 of age), seniors (age 60 and over) and children (generally ages 4-11) but should be verified with each product.

Price at 1 week before departure
01-Price-1st class-10AM-1wk

Price at 2 weeks before departure

01-Price-1st class-10AM-2wk

Price at 3 weeks before departure

01-Price-1st class-10AM-3wk

Price at 4 weeks before departure

01-Price-1st class-10AM-4wk

Normally, prices are reduced for 1or 2 week-advanced purchase, slightly reduced for 3-week-advanced purchased, and stay same for more-than-4-week-advanced purchase.

The physical rate fences are the classes:
01-Booking-Class

 

The non-physical rate fences are age, season ticket, and loyalty

01-Booking-Rate Fences-1

01-Booking-Rate Fences-2

01-Booking-Rate Fences-3

01-Booking-Rate Fences-4

As the rate fences are now already too sophisticated, I would rather consolidate these fences than create new fences to confuse customers.

 

(-Thao Ly)

——–

References:

http://www.raileurope.com

http://www.tgv-europe.com

http://www.sncf.co.uk/

Amstrong and Messneir, 2010. Railway revenue management: Overview and Methods

Schroeder, Braun, and Schnieder. Revenue management in the railway industry

 

165,481 thoughts on “Railway Industry in France

  1. سنگ و انگشتر فیروزه یکی از اولین گوهرهای زینتی به شمار می رود، قدیمی ترین نمونه این گوهر زیبا در شبه جزیره سینا در مصر یافت شده که دارای قدمتی ۶۰۰۰ سال قبل از میلاد مسیح می باشد. سنگ و انگشتر فیروزه بیش از ۳۰۰۰ سال است که در ایران استخراج می شود و یکی از پر طرفدارترین گوهر ها نزد ایرانیان به شمار می رود. امروزه از سنگ فیروزه در انگشتر نقره، گردنبند، حلقه، گوشواره و … استفاده می شود.

    https://www.khasbox.com/%D9%85%D8%AD%D8%B5%D9%88%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AA/179/%D8%B2%DB%8C%D9%88%D8%B1-%D8%A2%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AA/%D8%A7%D9%86%DA%AF%D8%B4%D8%AA%D8%B1/%D8%A7%D9%86%DA%AF%D8%B4%D8%AA%D8%B1-%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%87/%D8%A7%D9%86%DA%AF%D8%B4%D8%AA%D8%B1-%D9%81%DB%8C%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B2%D9%87-%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%87

  2. Superior post,✅ keep up with this exceptional work. It’s nice to know that this topic is being also covered on this web site so cheers for taking the time to discuss this! Thanks again and again!
    dark market url

  3. ฉันสนุกกับมันทุกอย่างแน่นอน เป็นเว็บไซต์ที่ยอดเยี่ยมและการแบ่งปันที่ดี ฉันอยากขอบคุณ. เก่งมาก! พวกคุณสร้างบล็อกที่ยอดเยี่ยมและมีเนื้อหาที่ยอดเยี่ยม ดีแล้วทำต่อไป. แทงบอล

  4. I’m really enjoying the design and layout of your site. It’s a very easy on the eyes which makes it much more pleasant for me to come here and visit more often. Did you hire out a developer to create your theme? Superb work! 먹튀안전업체

  5. Hey there, You’ve done an excellent job. I will definitely digg it and personally suggest to my friends. I’m sure they will be benefited from this web site. Best of luck for the next! Please visit my web site totalcal.co.nz. Best Pipette Calibration NZ service provider.

  6. Looking for logo design in London? We’re branding specialists and can provide you with custom logo design that will make your business stand out from your competitors.
    London Logo

  7. ข้อมูลที่เป็นประโยชน์ในหัวข้อที่มีผู้สนใจมากมายสำหรับโพสต์ที่ยอดเยี่ยมนี้ชื่นชมเวลาและความพยายามที่คุณใส่ไว้ใน b! .. คาสิโน

  8. Thanks for sharing superb informations. I’m impressed by the details that you’ve on this site. It reveals how nicely you understand this subject. Bookmarked this web page, will come back for extra articles.Please visit my website trailcreekpharmacy.com . Best Euless Pharmacy service provider.

  9. I was surfing the Internet for information and came across your blog. I am impressed by the information you have on this blog. It shows how well you understand this subject. alojamiento web

  10. บทความเด่นมีประโยชน์อย่างยิ่ง! ฉันเริ่มอย่างเงียบ ๆ ในเรื่องนี้และฉันก็เริ่มคุ้นเคยกับมันมากขึ้น! มีความสุขทำต่อไปและน่าประทับใจมากขึ้น คาสิโน

  11. This particular papers fabulous, and My spouse and i enjoy each of the perform that you have placed into this. I’m sure that you will be making a really useful place. I has been additionally pleased. Good perform! best regards

  12. Superior post,✅ keep up with this exceptional work. It’s nice to know that this topic is being also covered on this web site so cheers for taking the time to discuss this!
    Free V Bucks

  13. ขอบคุณสำหรับการแบ่งปันข้อมูลนี้ มีประโยชน์และให้ข้อมูลมาก vegus33

  14. D & H (Partnership) Ltd can provide operating theatre lights for all applications, from large surgical lights for general surgery in operating theatre to smaller LED operating theatre lights for emergency rooms and clinical environments.
    Operating Theatre Lights

  15. Superior post,✅ keep up with this exceptional work. It’s nice to know that this topic is being also covered on this web site so cheers for taking the time to discuss this!
    Free Robux

  16. Superior post,✅ keep up with this exceptional work. It’s nice to know that this topic is being also covered on this web site so cheers for taking the time to discuss this!
    Among Us Mod

  17. I’m going to read this. I’ll be sure to come back. thanks for sharing. and also This article gives the light in which we can observe the reality. this is very nice one and gives indepth information. thanks for this nice article…
    VoIP Providers UK

  18. This is often at the same time a good present that many of us seriously enjoyed browsing. It’s not at all on a daily basis which i provide the likeliness to check something. 토토사이트

  19. This method is usually successfully definitely best option. Every single one connected with incredibly tiny features usually are supposed by using quite a few historical past ability. I might suggest the software program tremendously. 토토사이트

  20. Happy Victory Day of Bangladesh 2020 (Bijoy Dibosh) Activities, Status, Wishes, Picture and everything you will get on this Website. Just visit and get all Victory Day collection
    Bijoy Dibosh 2020 Picture and get all Victory Day collection

  21. I really loved reading your blog. It was very well authored and easy to undertand. Unlike additional blogs I have read which are really not tht good. I also found your posts very interesting. In fact after reading, I had to go show it to my friend and he ejoyed it as well! doberman puppies for sale in pa

  22. Thanks for sharing superb informations. I’m impressed by the details that you’ve on this site. It reveals how nicely you understand this subject. Bookmarked this web page, will come back for extra articles.Please visit my website naplesdriverguide.com. Best Car service from Rome airport to Naples service provider.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *