SNCF’s Ouigo operation is expanding, with its Vitesse Classique operation getting ready to start operations on the 11th of April. What can you expect?
Corail coaches and broken nose trains. Starting 11th April – Image Ouigo/SNCF.
Some of you know might know Ouigo, which currently operates high-speed trains in France, is akin to a low-cost operation. The Vitesse Classique (classic speed) operation will operate services on the “classic” train lines of SNCF.
Network
The routes that the trains will operate will be on the classic lines between:
- Paris – Lyon in 4h45-5h15, serving:
- Paris Bercy, Villeneuve-Saint-Georges, Melun , Dijon-Ville, Châlon-sur-Saône, Mâcon-Ville, Lyon-Perrache
- Paris – Nantes taking 3h 30 to 4h 15, serving either:
- Paris Austerlitz, Juvisy, Massy-Palaiseau, Versailles Chantiers , Chartres, Le Mans, Angers Saint-Laud, Nantes
- Paris Austerlitz, Juvisy, Les Aubrais (for Orléans), Blois-Chambord, Saint-Pierre-des-Corps (for Tours) Saumur, Angers Saint-Laud, Nantes
The Ouigo Vitesse Classique network – Image, SNCF/Ouigo.
The service will offer 2 daily round trips on the Paris-Nantes line and 1 daily round trip on the Paris-Lyon line initially. This will scale up to a total of five round trips a day from June.
In the start-up phase, Ouigo Vitesse Classique will offer a single travel class in classic Corail trains, refurbished and sporting Ouigo’s pink and blue livery.
Fares, please!
Fares range between €10 and €30, with children under 12 paying a fixed fare of €5. Like the tickets for Ouigo high-speed service, Vitesse Classique tickets are sold exclusively online.
Sales will be via OUIGO.com, SNCF Connect and other distribution channels.
Once aboard, you’ll get a reserved seat allowed to carry one piece of carry-on luggage. There will be shared power outlets and a selection of snacks for purchase.
Other charges include:
- an extra piece of luggage for an additional €5
- a bike disassembled and packed in a bike bag, for an additional €5
- a fully assembled bike for an additional €10
Trying to beat the competition at its own game.
For SNCF to try a very-low cost service, it is pretty obvious they want to sew up the competition quickly and cannibalise other entrants to the market – such as FlixTrain, Railcoop enter the market, whilst not directly competing with Trenitalia France in this instance – thus keeping passengers on SNCF services.
Open access rail operations still appear to be a very limited thing in France, with entrants trying to work out how this market will work.
SNCF’s Ouigo Vitesse Classique could make it that bit harder to get a foothold in as they now cover high speed, discount high speed, regional and low-cost long-distance services.
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Nice service and (by American standards, at least) fantastic fares. I try to take Amtrak when I travel, I really do, but between the slowness, the prices (flying is almost always cheaper), and their just not going to places I need to go to, it doesn’t work well.
And I had to go look up why there’s a strange elephant-thing pictured for Nantes, and now I want to go there.