How can we respond to the French’s desire for trains? The question is burning for the SNCF. This summer, the historic railway operator broke its record with 24 million passengers on main lines. And it is rumored that he would have sold 15% to 20% more tickets if he had offered more seats. In addition, this shortage of tickets is driving up TGV prices. And this outrages public opinion, which does not understand that a 100% public company charges such prices.
To increase its capacity, SNCF ordered 115 TGV Ms from Alstom, each of which offers 20% more seats. The delivery of these new trainsets will take place between the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025 and 2032. But this will not be enough to satisfy demand which will increase significantly with the rise of environmental concerns. “And there are no plans to order additional TGV M trainsets. We do not have the economic capacity,” explains Christophe Fanichet, CEO of SNCF Voyageurs. Its resources are all the more constrained since, as part of its 100 billion euro plan to boost the train, the executive intends to ask the operator for increased effort: in the performance contract between the State and SNCF Réseau over the period 2021-2030, SNCF Voyageurs had to pay four billion to the railway infrastructure manager. Today, the government is considering increasing this contribution to ten billion.
As a result, the railway company is looking for other less expensive ways to increase its supply. Today, its TGVs are withdrawn from circulation after a maximum of forty years of service. In June, she raised the idea of extending their lifespan by up to ten years.
Thursday, she presented the outlines of this program called “Botox”. “One hundred and four trainsets will see their lifespan extended,” says Alain Krakovitch, director of TGV and Intercités. Some from two to six years, others from ten years.” An operation that is not anecdotal: the SNCF has 363 TGVs. “Twenty-three double-deck trainsets will be extended by ten years, the rest by two to six years,” specifies Vincent Lahillade, director of industrial operations at TGV. The difference? The duplex trains are made of aluminum and, as such, do not risk corrosion. Single-level trainsets, from an earlier generation, are made of steel and often suffer from corrosion after thirty years.
However, in this case, there is no question of taking risks with rolling stock that is no longer up to standard because of its age. “This program must be carried out 100% safely,” insists Alain Krakovitch. Given the scale of the task, the SNCF has planned a substantial budget: between 500 million and 1 billion. These figures will be refined before the end of 2023 when the board of directors of the SNCF group gives its agreement to this operation. But, if SNCF Voyageurs is talking about it openly, it is because the risk of seeing this program rejected by this body is close to zero. Because the operator expects real results. “Thanks to the Botox program, we will increase the number of places from 10% to 15% in 2032,” emphasizes Alain Krakovitch. We can hope that this will bring prices down.” Without this approach, the SNCF will not have many more seats to sell in nine years than today.
The investment is significant because it is a very heavy project. “It takes a year of study then two weeks to a month of work to extend the lifespan of a TGV train from two to six years and three years of study then four to six months of work to go up to ‘at ten years old,’ specifies Alain Krakovitch. The first “botoxed” trainsets will therefore return to circulation in 2026. The SNCF technical centers responsible for these refurbishment operations will be able, for the parts to be changed, to draw on ten to twenty TGVs at the end of their life which will serve as a store.
For trainsets extended from two to six years, the changes will be rather cosmetic. Seats, armrests and power outlets will be replaced as needed. The bar and toilets will be systematically renovated. And the interior and exterior lamination of the trains will be redone. On trains extended for ten years, the interior layout will be completely redone to the standards of the TGV Atlantique, the most recent generation of trains in circulation. And, for all trains, an inspection of the parts essential to the smooth running of the train (the brakes, the engine, the bogies, the electronics, etc.) is planned to eliminate all risks.
Because the SNCF is moving into unknown territory. There are no examples of railway companies that have extended the lifespan of their TGVs. The company will be able to draw inspiration from the renovation operations it is carrying out on other rolling stock. So, when the government decided to relaunch night trains in 2021, the SNCF renovated a few dozen trains which were otherwise promised to be dismantled.