This Tuesday, March 11, marks a historic milestone in the French rail industry, as the first tickets for the Trenitalia version of the Paris – Marseille line go on sale. From mid-June, it will be possible to reach Marseille in just 3 hours and 20 minutes, with a stop in Lyon, and tickets starting at €27 .
The €27 high-speed line between Paris and Marseille is on track
In 2021, Trenitalia set up shop in France with the inauguration of the Paris-Lyon-Milan line. Renfe, the Spanish company, followed suit with the launch of the Madrid – Marseille and Barcelona – Lyon routes. Today, a new step has been taken since the opening of the French rail market to competition, as Trenitalia will for the first time launch a 100% French route between the country’s major cities.
With four round trips a day between Gare du Nord and Gare Saint-Charles, Italian high-speed trains will offer the French a cheaper and more plentiful alternative to the SNCF. In addition, the Lyon Saint-Exupéry, Avignon and Aix-en-Provence stations will also be served. You can already plan your summer, as several tickets have already gone on sale.
It’s a great innovation, and one that will have an impact on our wallets. Since the arrival of Trenitalia in 2021, an average price reduction of 43% has been recorded on the Paris – Lyon section. With an entry price of €27, the Paris – Marseille route is likely to follow the same pattern. This is the first step in a situation that is likely to spread throughout France. Indeed, SNCF’s competitors are set to take over all the country’s profitable lines by 2030.