IDTGV

The iDTGV is the name of a new service TGV of the SNCF set up in 2004 accessible only by Internet. This service was launched within the framework of a subsidiary company of private law, on an experimental basis during three years, on the only relation Paris - Avignon - Marseilles - Toulon at a rate of an outward journey and return per day since the December 6th 2004, more of the additional relations in end of the week.

Following the strike movement of the railwaymen which began the November 21st 2005, the subsidiary company, disputed as of its creation, was reinstated in the company, while preserving its autonomous operating process.

The served destinations were extended to the relation Paris Nimes - Montpellier starting from the June 22nd 2005, with the relations Paris Bordeaux - Toulouse and Paris Nice since the January 23rd 2006, like with the relations Paris Perpignan the January 9th 2007. The Basque Country is served at the beginning of Paris since July 9th, and bound for the stations of Biarritz, Hendaye, Bayonne, and Holy Jean de Luz. Paris - Strasbourg and Paris - Mulhouse will be also served starting from October 2nd, 2007.

Reservation by Internet and impression by the customer

Characteristics: an offer of call at low prices (19 €), but on a limited quota, the prices which can vary in real-time according to the occupancy rate, the reservations are open four months before the departure of the train, the ticket is printed by the customer himself either at his place, or in Gare with the ad hoc kiosk. It comprises a code-bars which is checked electronically before the rise in the train (there is no control on board), the usual titles of reduction are not accepted.

The material used is in general a Duplex oar TGV (on two levels) offering 500 seats, circulating coupled with an oar of the normal service.

The iDTGV.com site does not sell tickets, it is necessary to carry out its reservation on one of the sites partners: anyway.com, atlantisvoyages.fr, expedia.fr, fftparis.com, koala-voyages.com, luce-voyages.com, otu.fr, travelonweb.com, voyages-sncf.com, and wasteels.fr. As on all the TGV, the reservation are obligatory. The ticket must be printed on blank paper with the format A4 and is not exchangeable after impression. Before impression, the ticket is exchangeable only on other ways iDTGV , even if the ticket were bought on the site of the SNCF, and causes a supplement of 10 €.

This new offer caused hostile reactions at the trade unions and certain members of the personnel not syndicated of the SNCF which fear that this offer involves a reduction of manpower, in particular with the counters, and in the long term a privatization of certain services via the subsidiarization, the iDTGV subsidiary company being at the time of its creation a subsidiary company of private law. The personnel of iDTGV even if it came mainly from the SNCF was dissociated from the personnel of the SNCF and was thus submitted has different work conditions.

The trade unions blocked a time this train, the inaugural day, by declaring that it was the first “deprived” train, which, from their point of view, constitutes a very large danger.

For the SNCF, it is an experimentation (carried by a new subsidiary company, iTGV) which goes in the direction of the development of tool Internet in the marketing of the train and the reduction of the costs, and a tool to fight against the competition of the airline companies at low prices, rather aggressive on this axis, and to prepare the arrival of the Concurrence on the rail, foreseeable in the horizon 2008.

Tariffing

The tariffs of IDTGV are modulated according to the real occupancy rate of the trains so as to maximize the total receipt and the occupation of the oar. Very gravitational prices are proposed to the people holding a long time in advance (4 months), but that as well as possible relates to only 10% of the places offered, but the prices increase for the sections of places put on sale later, more close to the date of the departure and can even exceed the full price of the other TGV. Moreover, the usual titles of reduction, which concern three travellers out of four with the SNCF, are not allowed.

With regard to the possible delays, if train IDTGV has more than one hour of delay, 19€ will be generally refunded within one month on each ticket.

It results from it that, in a given train, all the travellers do not pay the same price with identical service. One is thus far from a situation of Public service where reign normally the equal treatment. This practice of tariff fixing of quotas (the yield management ) is current in air transport, in particular at the companies at low prices. It was made possible with the SNCF since the introduction of the system of Résarail reservation (called in the past Socrate , for Système Offering to the Customers the Reservation of Business and Tourism in Europe) which was very décrié at the time of its startup in the years 1990.

Services on board

To fight against air competition, the SNCF introduces services on board, more developed than with the accustomed one, which seek to exploit the advantages offered by the configuration of the material to two levels:

On the lower floor, it is the space of rest. A kit sleep is sold for 2 €. The cell phones are prohibited.
With the upper floor, it is the space of animations and the meetings. Plays are provided to the children.

As in the air one, these services are invoicees in more and do not enter the amount of the ticket.

First results

According to Louis Gallois, president of the SNCF (at the time of the presentation of the wishes for the year 2005 with the press), the average occupancy rate amounted to 77% in December 2004 (for 210 000 travellers). The average costs by traveller would rise with 55 €.

Card-index defining its centers of interests

From semi-2006 a traveller can fill a card defining its centers with interests consultable after moderation by the others. This service called iDTGVandCo is free.

External bond

iDTGV.com
consultable card

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