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

 

181,350 thoughts on “Railway Industry in France

  1. I have read several excellent stuff here. Definitely price bookmarking for revisiting. I wonder how much attempt you set to make such a fantastic informative web site. ALPILEAN

  2. I simply wanted to jot down a quick word in order to appreciate you for those splendid tips and hints you are sharing on this website. My time intensive internet investigation has now been recognized with really good ideas to write about with my family and friends. I would assert that most of us site visitors are undoubtedly endowed to dwell in a great site with so many special professionals with great points. I feel quite blessed to have discovered your entire weblog and look forward to many more pleasurable minutes reading here. Thanks again for everything. Howdy are using WordPress for your site platform? I’m new to the blog world but I’m trying to get started and create my own. Do you require any html coding expertise to make your own blog? Any help would be greatly appreciated! 먹튀타운 토토검증사이트

  3. Hi there, I discovered your blog per Google bit searching for such kinda educational advise moreover your inform beholds very remarkable for me.a2hosted

  4. excellent issues altogether, you simply received brand new reader. What could you recommend about your put up that you simply made a few days in the past? Any sure? a course in miracles

  5. Whats up very cool web site!! Man .. Beautiful .. Superb .. I will bookmark your web site and take the feeds additionally…I am happy to find a lot of useful information here in the put up, we want develop extra techniques on this regard, thank you for sharing. get paid by youtube

  6. Hello I am so delighted I located your blog, I really located you by mistake, while I was watching on google for something else, Anyways I am here now and could just like to say thank for a tremendous post and a all round entertaining website. Please do keep up the great work. 토토사이트 추천

  7. Our platform offers a safe and fun way to meet other singles online. Whether you’re looking for a serious relationship or just a casual fling, our community of like-minded individuals is waiting for you. Sign up today and start dating online. Join the Seniors dating site and find your perfect match.

  8. Pretty good post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed reading your blog posts. Any way I’ll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you post again soon. Big thanks for the useful info. 토토사이트

  9. First You got a great blog .I will be interested in more similar topics. i see you got really very useful topics, i will be always checking your blog thanks Thanks for sharing this information. I really like your blog post very much. You have really shared a informative and interesting blog post . I have recently started a blog, the info you provide on this site has helped me greatly. Thanks for all of your time & work. Just saying thanks will not just be sufficient, for the fantasti c lucidity in your writing. 모두의토토검증업체

  10. “Thank you so much for the post you do. I like your post and all you share with us is up to date and quite informative, i would like to bookmark the page so i can come here again to read you, as you have done a wonderful job. I am very happy to read your blog, you write really well, I pray to God that you keep writing such good blogs and share with us. If some one wants expert view on the topic of blogging
    and site-building then i recommend him/her to go to see this web site,
    Keep up the good work.” 토토매거진 검증업체

  11. Have you thought about including certain movies in your – Gulvafslibning | Kurt Gulvmand write-up We think it might strengthen some of our comprehension Thanks ! Los Angeles Web Designer GLUCOTRUST

  12. Advantageously, the article is actually the greatest topic on curing acne naturally. I concur with your conclusions and will eagerly look forward to your coming updates. Saying thanks will not just be enough, for the phenomenal lucidity in your writing. I will immediately grab your rss feed to stay informed of any updates. WEALTH DNA CODE

  13. I haven’t any word to appreciate this post…..Really i am impressed from this post….the person who create this post it was a great human..thanks for shared this with us. Xây nhà phần thô

  14. thanks for sharing this facts. I certainly like your weblog post very much. You’ve got without a doubt shared a informative and thrilling weblog submit . You beget a completely exciting website. I just like the complete facts which you provender with every article. Very first-rate article, i loved reading your post, very exceptional percentage, i need to twit this to my followers. Thanks! Wow, high-quality, i was questioning a way to treatment zits clearly. And discovered your website online by means of google, learned a lot, now i’m a bit clear. I’ve bookmark your site and additionally add rss. Keep us updated. I was surfing the internet for facts and came across your weblog. I am impressed by the facts you have got on this weblog. It indicates how well you understand this challenge. Most effective aspire to say ones content may be as great. This readability with your put up is extraordinary and that i may think you’re a guru for this difficulty. Wonderful in conjunction with your concur allow me to to capture your cutting-edge supply to preserve modified through using drawing close blog submit. Thanks loads loads of along with you ought to cross on the enjoyable get the job executed. 먹튀뱅크검증커뮤니티

  15. Vbet Üyelik avantajları da dikkat çekicidir. Yeni üyeler, genellikle hoş geldin bonusuyla karşılanır. Bu bonuslar, oyun oynamaya başlamak için ek bir bütçe sağlar. Ayrıca, düzenlenen turnuvalar, özel etkinlikler ve sadakat programlarıyla da üyelerine ekstra kazanç ve avantajlar sunulur.
    Site Adresi : https://vbettrgiris.com/vbet-giris/

  16. Thanks for a very interesting blog. What else may I get that kind of info written in such a perfect approach? I’ve a undertaking that I am simply now operating on, and I have been at the look out for such info.
    오래된 토토사이트

  17. Güvenilirlik, Vbet için büyük bir öneme sahiptir. Lisanslı ve denetlenen bir platform olması, kullanıcıların güvenini kazanmasını sağlar. Ayrıca müşteri verilerinin güvenliğini korumak için gelişmiş güvenlik önlemleri alınmıştır. Finansal işlemlerin güvenli bir şekilde gerçekleştirilmesi ve kullanıcı bilgilerinin gizliliğinin korunması Vbet’in öncelikleri arasındadır.
    Site : https://vbettrgiris.com/vbet-giris/

  18. I do not even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post was good. I do not know who you are but definitely you’re going to a famous blogger if you are not already Cheers! kids’ gps tracker

  19. Does your blog have a contact page? I’m having a tough time locating it but, I’d like to shoot you an email. I’ve got some ideas for your blog you might be interested in hearing. Either way, great website and I look forward to seeing it grow over time. kids’ gps tracker

Leave a Reply

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