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TRAVEL NEWS

9 new train routes in France in 2024

There will be several new offers for both domestic and international train trips in France in 2024. 

Published: 7 December 2023 16:36 CET
9 new train routes in France in 2024
An SNCF Intercites train at the Gare de l'Est railway station in Paris. (Photo by ERIC PIERMONT / AFP)

SNCF lower-speed trains

France’s national rail service plans to offer three new low-cost, slower speed trains – not to exceed 160 km/h – in parallel with their high-speed, TGV offerings. These are expected to be put into service in the final months of 2024.

Paris-Rennes –  About four hours, in comparison to the usual 1 hour and thirty minutes on TGV lines. It will pass through Massy-Palaiseau, Versailles, Chartres, Le Mans and Laval.

Paris-Bordeaux – About five hours (compared to a little over two hours on a high-speed line). It will also pass through Juvisy, Les Aubrais, Saint-Pierre-des-Corps, Futuroscope, Poitiers and Angoulême stations.

Paris-Brussels  – Approximately three hours (just under 1 hour and 30 minutes for the TGV). As of August 2023, the proposed stops for this line were Creil and Aulnoye-Aymeries in France, and Mons in Belgium. However, this may still be subject to change, according to Geo.Fr. 

Tickets will range from €10 to a €49 maximum for adults.

High-speed trains

Paris-Madrid – Italy’s Trenitalia already runs a route between Barcelona and Madrid, but in 2024 it wants to add a Paris-Barcelona route that would create a direct connection between Paris and Madrid.

It’s scheduled to be in operation by the end of 2024. 

READ MORE: Train travel from France to Spain: Everything you need to know

Paris-Berlin – France and Germany are collaborating to put a new TGV route between the capital cities. The journey would take around seven hours, and it is expected to launch sometime in 2024, according to Forbes. A direct night train route between Paris and Berlin launches on December 11th 2023, and the daytime service is expected towards the end of 2024. 

Paris-Bourg Saint Maurice – the low-cost rail service Ouigo launches on December 10th a new budget-friendly line running from the capital to Bourg Saint Maurice (popularly known as Bourg), which is located in Savoie. This is expected to run daily during the winter season.

Paris Roissy-Toulon – Another low-cost offer, Ouigo will launch on December 10th 2023 a high-speed low-cost route going between the Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport and the port city on the Mediterranean. It will pass through Marne La-Vallée Chessy, Lyon Saint-Exupéry, and Aix-en-Provence TGV before arriving in Toulon.

Night trains

Paris-Berlin – The Paris-Berlin night train begins on December 11th 2023. It will initially be a three-train-a-week service before becoming daily in October 2024. It will stop at Strasbourg, Mannheim, Erfurt and Halle.

Paris-Aurillac – This Intercités line will also be introduced on December 10th 2023 and will be available in 2024. It will run from the capital city to the Auvergne region, and it will pass through the following stations: Saint-Denis-Près-Martel, Bretenoux-Biars, Laroquebrou and Aurillac.

Other transport plans for 2024

In a December interview with Franceinfo, the French transport minister, Clément Beaune, repeated his interest in creating France’s version of the German €49-a-month train ticket. This would allow users to have unlimited use of TER and Intercités trains, and would be similarly priced to the German plan.

Beaune said this would be created “by the summer of 2024”.

He also announced that train ticket prices for Intercités (classic, non-high speed lines connecting cities) and Ouigo (the low-cost high speed rail service) would not increase in price in 2024.

READ MORE: France to freeze ticket prices on some rail services in 2024

What about 2025?

TGV M – Hailed the train of the future, the fifth-generation high-speed train, TGV M, will have a maximum capacity of 740 seats (compared to the 630 on current TGV models). It will consume 20 percent less energy than current TGVS, according to Ouest France. It is set to be introduced in early 2025.

Paris-Venice – Initially, the rail company Midnight Trains, which plans to offer new ‘hotels on rails’ (eg, night trains with more luxurious features, such as real beds and sound proof walls), was hoping to launch its Paris-Venice night train in 2024. However, according to Euronews, this is now set for 2025. It is expected to go through Milan.

In the coming years, France is hoping to expand its internal night train network to a total of 10 lines, according to French transport minister Clément Beaune.

Paris-London – a rail startup named Evolyn says it plans to bid to run a London-Paris service to rival Eurostar, with 2025 as a desired start date. However, the bid is in the very early stages.

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PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS

How Paris’s Olympic carpool lanes will work 

Throughout the Olympic and Paralympic Games periods, some 185km of lanes on roads around Paris will be reserved for event-related traffic – here’s what you need to know.

Published: 25 June 2024 13:01 CEST
How Paris’s Olympic carpool lanes will work 

Between July 15th and September 11th, ‘Olympic lanes’ will be in use along certain stretches of key roads in and around Paris.

These lanes will be reserved for use by accredited vehicles to transport athletes, accredited journalists and official delegations, as well as emergency and security vehicles, cabs, ambulances and public transport.

READ ALSO Apps, reservations and flying taxis: What to know before visiting Paris this summer

The lanes will be activated on July 15, on the following roads:

  • A1 between Roissy Charles de Gaulle and Porte de la Chapelle, until September 11th;
  • A4 between Collégien and Porte de Bercy until August 13th, then from August 30th to September 8th;
  • A12 between Rocquencourt and Montigny le Bretonneux until August 13th, and again from August 27th to September 8th;
  • A13 between Porte Maillot and Rocquencourt until August 13th, then from August 27th to September 8th;
  • Boulevard périphérique, from Porte de Vanves to Porte de Bercy, via the north until August 13th, then from August 22th to September 11th;
  • Boulevard Circulaire (La Défense) until August 13th, then from August 22nd to September 11th;
  • Lanes on certain routes in Paris.

None of these roads will be closed – lanes along these routes that are not reserved for Olympic or Paralympic Games traffic are open to road users as usual.

The lanes in question will be signposted – signs, clearly marked with the words “Paris 2024”, will be in place from July 1st, and will be removed by the end of the day on September 15h. 

READ ALSO How to use Paris public transport during the Olympics

Who can use dedicated Olympic lanes?

Only vehicles and road users that have been properly accredited by the Organising Committee of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games can travel along these lanes during the periods indicated above. 

They include:

  • vehicles of accredited persons;
  • cabs;
  • public transport vehicles;
  • vehicles designed to facilitate the transport of people with reduced mobility;
  • and emergency and security vehicles.

READ ALSO Who needs a QR code to get around Paris during the Olympics

All other vehicles are prohibited from using these lanes throughout the Olympic Games period. Any vehicle circulating on an Olympic lane without having received prior authorisation is liable to a fine of €135 and possible further prosecution.

Road users without Olympic accreditation are advised to be aware of possible travel issues, as more vehicles are filtered into the other lanes. Therefore it would be wise to allow a little extra time for your journey if you are using one of the listed roads during the Games period.

An interactive map, showing routes with Olympic lanes is available here. 

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