France’s success in promoting rail travel kept on going last year, with a new record: 130 million passengers in 2024, up from the previous year—and previous record—of 122 million.
And that record is despite an unbroken record of at least one railroad strike every year since tabs started being kept in 1947. This year is no exception, by the way: there have been several small strikes, and one union has posted notice that it could strike any time this summer.
State-owned rail operator SNCF, which operates 15,000 trains a day over 28,000 kilometers of track, also reported a net profit of €1.6 billion, marking four years in a row of profits. The record for that, €2.2 billion, was set in 2022.
SNCF CEO Christophe Fanichet told reporters that “We are truly in the golden age of the train. We are building a virtuous circle for rail travel. “This is a sustainable trend.” On the other hand, it’s not always the best news for travelers. One in three TGV trains runs full, and the lower-cost Ouigo version has been running with two in three full, which means that last-minute travelers can find that the train they want has no room for them.
