Offers, benefits... what "Le Train" offers, the company that will compete with SNCF

Alexandre Dalifard 16:48 p.m., April 08, 2023, modified at 16:50 p.m., April 08, 2023

The SNCF in competition? Soon it will be possible to travel on the trains of a new railway company. This company, called Le Train, hopes to run from the end of 2024 with second-hand machines and the following year with its own equipment. Invited on Europe 1 Matin, Catherine Pihan Le Bars, Deputy General Manager for Operations of the company, presents this new railway company, which wishes to operate intra- and interregional high-speed traffic starting with the Great West.

"Optimize travel time"

Concretely, the project is quite clear and may be of interest to the inhabitants of the West because the private company wants to fill a gap. "We will offer fairly long lines and others quite short. In particular, we will offer a Bordeaux-Nantes in less than three hours, a Bordeaux-Rennes in less than 3h30, but also a fairly frequent Bordeaux-Angoulême in 34 minutes as well as extensions to Arcachon from all our lines, "says the manager. Catherine Pihan Le Bars also specifies that a specific service to Bordeaux-Mérignac airport will be proposed. People who wish to fly to this airport will be able to have a dedicated shuttle and leave their car at home. "This optimizes their travel and travel time," says the Deputy Director General.

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But the idea behind this project is above all to no longer transit through Paris. "When we talk about high-speed trains, we are necessarily talking about those going to or leaving the capital. So having direct routes, without connections, that do not pass through Paris, it will really allow us to optimize this travel time and offer a Bordeaux-Nantes in less than three hours. It will finally be competitive compared to the car, "says Catherine Pihan Le Bars at the microphone of Europe 1.

A crowdfunding campaign

To carry out this project, the company needs money. This is why the French private company announced the launch in April of a subscription campaign to open its capital to the general public. "This opening of capital is therefore integrated into individuals and also companies in the Great West that we will serve. You should know that this fundraising is our only and last opportunity to be able to open the capital of the company to these small holders and actors of the territory. Since the next one to come, in the coming months, will only be reserved for very large players in investment funds, "informs the manager. For this, Le Train is launching this crowdfunding campaign with the company Tudigo, based in Bordeaux. It is therefore working to aggregate this entire community of passengers who have often solicited the railway company.

An offer adapted to professionals and leisure

But concretely, what type of passengers is Le Train for? For once, the railway company targets two clienteles, leisure and professional. Since the health crisis, business travel has decreased. Nevertheless, in the Great West, there is a strong potential. "We will have a very adapted offer for these professional travelers, especially with Wi-Fi on board that is much more efficient than what can be done today. But also a 'business' class that will be adapted to be able to work on the train," says Catherine Pihan Le Bars.

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As for the leisure clientele, which will be more numerous, the company will propose a specific offer that will allow you to take your bike on board the train. It will have a capacity of 40 places for bicycles. This is intended to "remove these barriers to access to trains". In addition, the equipment used will make it possible to carry much larger luggage than current trains. "Simply because they will be single-decker trains. So, above the heads there will be the storage space that can be found in a plane, "says the manager. Little more for surfers from the Great West, it will be possible to take leisure objects on the train, such as surfboards.