SNCF currently operates Ouigo services from Marne La Vallée near Paris to Lyon, Marseille and Montpellier, but in 2016 it will extend services from the Paris area – serving additionally Rossy-Charles de Gaulle Airport and Massy – north to TGV Haute Picardie and Tourcoing near Lille, and west to Le Mans, Angers, Nantes and Rennes. Ouigo was launched two years ago and has carried 6 million passengers with fares starting at €10 per trip.

 

In addition, SNCF is relaunching its IDBus long-distance bus service as Ouibus and will triple the size of its bus fleet to serve 130 routes and 46 destinations. IDBus has carried 1.5 million passengers since 2012, and Ouibus will offer 4 million tickets next year from a starting fare of €5.

SNCF will market Ouigo and Ouibus as #Oui, a no-frills low-cost on-line travel service with 10 million reduced-priced tickets for sale in 2016. Passengers will also be able to compare #Oui fares with those for conventional Intercité/TER and TGV trains to see which offers the best value for money.

"SNCF is redefining its line-up to make travel options easier to understand and use," says SNCF's president, Mr Guillaume Pepy. "We're offering our customers more choice, but we also want to make it easier for them to compare the options. Our aim: travel for the greatest number, but that doesn't mean everyone has to travel in exactly the same way."