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

 

163,982 thoughts on “Railway Industry in France

  1. LAVASLOT คาสิโนออนไลน์ LAVASLOT777th อันดับ 1 ในเรื่องคุณภาพ การบริการ และมาตรฐานรองรับระดับสากล ร่วมสัมผัสประสบการณ์เดิมพัน LAVASLOT777 คาสิโนออนไลน์ บาคาร่า แตกหนักทุกเกม ทำกำไรได้ไม่อั้น รวมเวปไม่มีขั้นต่ำ ที่นี่เรามีเกม ทดลองเล่นPG ทดลองเล่นพีจี สล็อตเว็บตรงpg สล็อตเว็บใหญ่pg เว็บสล็อตไหลดี ให้คุณเลือกเล่นไม่อั้นนับ 1,000+ เกม เพียงเข้ามาสมัครสมาชิกก็ร่วมสนุกกับเกม คาสิโนออนไลน์เว็บตรง LAVAGAME ฝากถอนไม่มีขั้นต่ำ ด้วยระบบออโต้ lavagame ที่สุดแห่งความทันสมัย เชื่อถือได้ และรวดเร็วที่สุด LAVASLOT777

  2. LAVASLOT คาสิโนออนไลน์ LAVA909 อันดับ 1 ในเรื่องคุณภาพ การบริการ และมาตรฐานรองรับระดับสากล ร่วมสัมผัสประสบการณ์เดิมพัน lava909 คาสิโนออนไลน์ บาคาร่า แตกหนักทุกเกม ทำกำไรได้ไม่อั้น รวมเวปไม่มีขั้นต่ำ ที่นี่เรามีเกม ทดลองเล่นPG ทดลองเล่นพีจี สล็อตเว็บตรงpg สล็อตเว็บใหญ่pg เว็บสล็อตไหลดี ให้คุณเลือกเล่นไม่อั้นนับ 1,000+ เกม เพียงเข้ามาสมัครสมาชิกก็ร่วมสนุกกับเกม คาสิโนออนไลน์เว็บตรง LAVAGAME ฝากถอนไม่มีขั้นต่ำ ด้วยระบบออโต้ lavagame ที่สุดแห่งความทันสมัย เชื่อถือได้ และรวดเร็วที่สุด lava909

  3. I’ve been troubled for several days with this topic. totosite, But by chance looking at your post solved my problem! I will leave my blog, so when would you like to visit it?

  4. I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don’t know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often. Tips

  5. Very best people messages are meant to charm allow honor toward groom and bride. Newbie speakers in front of excessive locations should usually our own gold colored dominate in presenting and public speaking, which is to be personal interests home. best man speach kalyan satta

  6. Very best people messages are meant to charm allow honor toward groom and bride. Newbie speakers in front of excessive locations should usually our own gold colored dominate in presenting and public speaking, which is to be personal interests home. best man speach dpboss kalyan

  7. I am always searching online for storys that can accommodate me. There is obviously a multiple to understand about this. I feel you made few salubrious points in Attributes moreover. Detain busy, awesome career! 먹튀파인드

  8. This a decent method to welcome the instructor as they put their endeavors to prepare understudies. UK exposition Writers acknowledges the educators. 網站設計

  9. Regular visits listed here are the easiest method to appreciate your energy, which is why why I am going to the website everyday, searching for new, interesting info. Many, thank you 補習社

  10. This is such an extraordinary asset, that you are giving and you give it away for nothing. I adore seeing site that comprehend the benefit of giving a quality asset to free. 香港網頁設計

  11. You were quite interesting.. But sadly I didnrrrt accept them much :/ Although I might disagree I still support you as how confident you are on your writing lol find more

  12. I am frequently to blogging and i also genuinely appreciate your content regularly. This great article has truly peaks my interest. I am about to bookmark your web site and maintain checking for new details. page

  13. Thanks for taking the time to discuss that, I feel strongly about this and so really like getting to know more on this kind of field. Do you mind updating your blog post with additional insight? It should be really useful for all of us. 補習社

  14. There a few intriguing points over time here but I do not determine if I see they all center to heart. There may be some validity but Let me take hold opinion until I look into it further. Very good write-up , thanks and now we want more! Combined with FeedBurner likewise 24 inch Rolling Discharge Gate

  15. Clean website. Do you ever accept guest posts? I am maintaining a site on my latest hobby water filters and wanting to trade some content with good sites. I looked around your blog and you’ve got some good content and I was thinking our readers would both find value. Thanks! 24 inch Sliding Discharge Door

  16. Cumpara telefon HUAWEI nova 10 Pro din HUAWEI Store Romania cu livrare gratuita si rapida 8GB 256GB, camera frontala 60MP, design ultra subtire, SuperCharge 100W Plata in rate fara dobanda sau plata ramburs fara taxerdytfhgkj
    Cumpără nova 10 Pro

Leave a Reply

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