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

 

181,816 thoughts on “Railway Industry in France

  1. 나는 이것을 읽을 것이다. 다시 올게요. 공유해 주셔서 감사합니다. 그리고이 기사는 우리가 현실을 관찰 할 수있는 빛을 제공합니다. 이것은 매우 좋은 것이며 심층적 인 정보를 제공합니다. 이 멋진 기사에 감사드립니다 .. 안전놀이터

  2. Infor Inn is a dedicated platform for global readers where you can find updated and new articles on business and technology. We encourage versatile and well-versed writers to share their Guest Post and infographics with us to get it published on our site. Read and enjoy latest blogs here on every topic you are looking for.InforInn

  3. Click here are a treasure trove of knowledge and a vibrant platform for engaging conversations. These groups cover an array of topics, including literature, movies, politics, technology, and more, all conducted in the beautiful Malayalam language. Whether you’re a passionate debater, an ardent follower of Kerala’s cultural scene, or simply eager to connect with fellow Malayalam speakers, these groups offer a welcoming space to exchange ideas, share insights, and stay updated on current affairs.

  4. Discover the remarkable success story of Dukaan founder and be inspired by the entrepreneurial journey that led to the creation of this innovative platform. In our in-depth exploration, we delve into the challenges faced, strategies employed, and the vision that transformed Dukaan into a thriving business. Click the link to uncover the full story of the Dukaan founder’s path to success, and gain valuable insights that may inspire your own entrepreneurial aspirations. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from their experiences and accomplishments. Click here to explore the inspiring success story of the Dukaan founder and be motivated by their remarkable achievements.

  5. I’ve been exploring for a little for any high quality articles or blog posts on this kind of area . Exploring in Yahoo I at last stumbled upon this website. Reading this info So i’m happy to convey that I’ve a very good uncanny feeling I discovered just what I needed. I most certainly will make sure to don’t forget this website and give it a look regularly. Grams to troy ounces

  6. Whether you prefer minimalist designs or colorful layouts, a digital planner allows you to express your creativity while staying organized and on top of your tasks.
    Read for more information digital planner.

  7. “As someone new to blogging, I’m grateful for PublisherWay’s guidance. This post was especially helpful in understanding SEO techniques.” 1v1.lol911

  8. Kami merupakan Konveksi tas yang beralamat di bandung yang bergerakan di bidang industri pembuatan tas seminar, baju, topi, Konveksi tas untuk keperluan tas seminar, tas pelatihan, tas kantor, tas sekolah, tas perusahaan, tas diklat, tas instansi reseller dan lainnya.
    Kami Menerima pembuatan Tas Seminar baik dalam jumlah kecil maupun besar baik itu keperluan tas ransel, tas kulit, tas seminar troli , koper umroh dengan kualitas yang terjamin dan siap untuk membantu anda untuk berkembang dalam usaha tas seminar.

  9. Embark on an unforgettable journey as the Lone Star State meets the Old World with nonstop flights from Austin to Europe. Feel the thrill of a seamless adventure as you soar through the skies, leaving behind the Texas heat for the timeless charm of Europe. From the music-filled streets of Dublin to the romantic canals of Venice, these flights open a gateway to diverse cultures, historic wonders, and delectable cuisine. Your European dreams await, just a nonstop flight away. Bon voyage!

  10. Kami merupakan Konveksi tas yang beralamat di bandung yang bergerakan di bidang industri pembuatan tas seminar, baju, topi, Konveksi tas untuk keperluan tas seminar, tas pelatihan, tas kantor, tas sekolah, tas perusahaan, tas diklat, tas instansi reseller dan lainnya.
    Kami Menerima pembuatan Tas Seminar kit baik dalam jumlah kecil maupun besar baik itu keperluan tas ransel, tas kulit, tas seminar troli , koper umroh dengan kualitas yang terjamin dan siap untuk membantu anda untuk berkembang dalam usaha tas seminar.

  11. 당신은 함께 논쟁하기가 실질적으로 어렵다는 것을 너무 많이 이해합니다 (실제로 내가 원하는 것은 아닙니다 … 하하). 당신은 확실히 수십 년 동안 논의 된 주제로 최신 스핀을 넣었습니다. 멋진 물건, 그냥 멋져요! 카지노 커뮤니티

  12. SEO is essentieel om relevantie aan zoekmachines te tonen en je website hoger te laten scoren. Het is belangrijk dat de externe websites die naar jouw website linken, de veiligheidsrichtlijnen van Google volgen. Door deze strategieën te volgen, blijf je de concurrentie voor en genereer je organisch verkeer naar je site. Met behulp van SEO en linkbuilding kun je je website snel laten stijgen in de Google-ranking en meer potentiële klanten aantrekken. Investeringen in SEO en linkbuilding zijn gunstig voor bedrijven van elke omvang. Door je website te optimaliseren volgens de standaarden van Google en kwalitatieve backlinks te creëren, garandeer je een hoge positie in de zoekresultaten. Dit vergroot je zichtbaarheid op Google, wat leidt tot meer organisch webverkeer, hogere conversies en een betere winstgevendheid voor je bedrijf. Christmas Dubai

  13. I like this – Gulvafslibning | Kurt Gulvmand , enjoyed this one appreciate it for posting keep update – Gulvafslibning | Kurt Gulvmand. casino

  14. Hey what a brilliant post I have come across and believe me I have been searching out for this similar kind of post for past a week and hardly came across this. Thank you very much and will look for more postings from you. openai phone number verification

  15. 그것은 매우 유익하고 당신은 분명히이 분야에 대해 매우 잘 알고 있습니다. 흥미롭고 탄탄한 내용으로이 주제에 대한 다양한 견해에 눈을 뜨 셨습니다. 축구중계

  16. I am unquestionably making the most of your site. You unquestionably have some extraordinary knowledge and incredible stories. Link

  17. I genuinely believed you would probably have something useful to say. All I hear is a bunch of whining about something that you can fix if you were not too busy looking for attention. After all, I know it was my choice to read..
    فلتر زيت للسيارات

  18. Searching for the ideal workout supplements to boost your fitness journey? Dive into our comprehensive guide on the best workout supplements for men. We unveil a curated selection of supplements designed to enhance performance, recovery, and muscle growth. Click the link to explore our top picks, complete with insights on ingredients, benefits, and recommended usage. Don’t miss this opportunity to maximize your workout results and achieve your fitness goals faster. Click here to discover the best workout supplements for men and take your fitness routine to the next level.

  19. That appears to be excellent however i am still not too sure that I like it. At any rate will look far more into it and decide personally! Hello

  20. There are many great things about your work. I think this is interesting and makes me think. You care about your fans and the things you write, so thanks for that. From vclubshop.at

Leave a Reply

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