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

 

181,631 thoughts on “Railway Industry in France

  1. i basically want to disclose to you that i’m new to blog and surely loved this weblog internet site. Possibly i am going to bookmark your blog . You totally have fantastic stories. Cheers for supplying to us your . What a pleasant comment! First-class to meet you. I stay in a different united states of america from you. Your writing may be of outstanding assist to me and to many other human beings dwelling in our usa. I used to be seeking out a publish like this, however i finally observed . I simply couldn’t leave your website before telling you that i truely loved the top best information you gift to your traffic? Will be returned once more often to check up on new posts. 먹튀검증

  2. 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. buy tramadol online uk

  3. Translations into all world languages. As an experienced language service provider, we are one of the established translation agencies in Germany. For more than 30 years we have been successfully using our professionalism and our high quality standards in the areas of translation and interpreting for our customers. Übersetzung

  4. Best work you have done, this online website is cool with great facts and looks. I have stopped at this blog after viewing the excellent content. I will be back for more qualitative work. 토토커뮤니티

  5. Translations into all world languages. As an experienced language service provider, we are one of the established translation agencies in Germany. For more than 30 years we have been successfully using our professionalism and our high quality standards in the areas of translation and interpreting for our customers. Übersetzung

  6. Thanks for sharing the post.. parents are worlds best person in each lives of individual..they need or must succeed to sustain needs of the family. Snap Authority

  7. i’m genuinely intrigued that there is such a number of facts approximately this difficulty which have been found out and you’ve placed forth a valiant effort, with such a number of elegance. I used to be cautioned this weblog with the aid of my cousin. I’m unsure about whether this put up consists with the aid of him as nobody else understand such factor by using point approximately my trouble. You are awesome! Tons obliged! Noteworthy website online, outstanding input that i’m able to cope with. Im pushing in advance and can follow to my present location of employment as a pet sitter, which is truely pleasant, but i want to more enlarge. Recognizes for paper a in particular high quality employer, i staggered adjoining on your blog aside from translate a limited claim. I need your approach of engraving.. I have been driving on the web over 3 hours today, yet i never tracked down any intriguing article like yours. It’s in reality well worth enough for me. As i’d see it, if all internet site admins and bloggers made tremendous substance as you did, the net may be significantly more treasured than some other time in current reminiscence. It’s some thing but a very captivating net magazine post. I often go to your posts for my assignment’s help about diwali bumper lottery and your fantastic composing skills actually disappear me shocked . I used to be endorsed this web page by means of my cousin. I’m uncertain about whether or not this post consists by way of him as nobody else realize such exact approximately my problem. You’re high-quality! Much preferred 안전토토사이트

  8. i’m genuinely intrigued that there is such a number of facts approximately this difficulty which have been found out and you’ve placed forth a valiant effort, with such a number of elegance. 안전토토사이트

  9. Thanks for taking the time to discuss this, I feel strongly about it and love learning more on this topic. If possible, as you gain expertise, would you mind updating your blog with extra information? It is extremely helpful for me. 메이저놀이터

  10. I have read your article, it is very informative and helpful for me.I admire the valuable information you offer in your articles.
    filehippo

  11. 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. organizacja imprez dla firm

  12. 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. pregabalin for anxiety

  13. you are posting a subject similar to mine. But i question if we are posting with expert information. Given that you in addition to i are publishing comparable topics, there will truely be numerous similar stories. As well as i’m able to point out you because i’ve a meeting of humans associated with the topic. Extremely good .. Splendid .. I’ll bookmark your weblog and take the feeds also…i’m happy to discover so many useful information here inside the put up, we need exercise session more strategies on this regard, thanks for sharing. 토토SOS

  14. This is a great inspiring article.I am pretty much pleased with your good work.You put really very helpful information. Keep it up. Keep blogging. Looking to reading your next post. Signal Jammer

  15. Its a great pleasure reading your post.Its full of information I am looking for and I love to post a comment that “The content of your post is awesome” Great work. Unique Domains

  16. Many say that the melody used in the station is fragmented. On the same company’s line, there is an approach melody on the Karasma Line, while there is no kick melody, and on the contrary, Dozai Line has a kick melody and no approach melody.시청역출장안마

  17. Wow, cool post. I’d like to write like this too – taking time and real hard work to make a great article… but I put things off too much and never seem to get started. Thanks though. 신규 꽁머니

  18. I can see that you are an expert at your field! I am launching a website soon, and your information will be very useful for me.. Thanks for all your help and wishing you all the success in your business. https://www.tellthebell.com

  19. Everyone loves your blog.. comfortable shades & concept. Do an individual design and style this website yourself or perhaps do anyone hire an attorney to accomplish it available for you? Plz reply when I!|m looking to design my personal web site plus wish to learn wherever u acquired the following out of. many thanks เรื่องบอลน่าสนใจ

  20. 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. tellthebell

Leave a Reply

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