RAILWAY TOLLS
THE HIDDEN COST OF RAIL REPORT — 2024-2026
Data 2025
When you buy a TGV ticket, 40% of the price goes to track access fees paid to SNCF Réseau, the infrastructure manager. These tolls fund network maintenance and renewal, but their annual +4% increases are passed directly to your ticket price.
THE SYSTEM
SNCF Réseau charges usage fees to all railway operators (SNCF Voyageurs, Trenitalia, etc.) for running on the national network.
TOLL SHARE IN TICKET PRICE
| Train type | Network toll share |
|---|---|
| TGV (high-speed) | 40% |
| TER (regional) | 15% |
TGV40%
TER15%
KEY FIGURES
- ▸ Toll revenue (2024): >€7B
- ▸ Network regeneration budget (2025): €3.3B
- ▸ SNCF Group revenue (2024): €43B
TOLL INCREASES
- ▸ 2024: ~4%
- ▸ 2025: ~4%
- ▸ 2026: +4.1%
- ▸ 2027-2029: more moderate increase (validated by ART)
VAT ON TICKETS
- ▸ Domestic transport: 10%
- ▸ International transport: exempt or reduced rate