It’s a bit of a meaningless figure anyway, average cost per what?
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SNCF has an accumalted historical debt of over 50 billion euros and growing.
fact is something has to be done. running a railway at a loss is no way forwards each day the debt gets bigger and that will break eventually.
no idea on how accurate the debt is but that is an absurdly high figure.
The debt figure is between 45 billion and 55 billion depending on who you believe and SNCF are losing 3 billion a year.
Despite revenues of more than 30 billion € annually
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Quote.
Per kilometre travelled, France has the second highest rail costs in Europe, according to EU figures.
French passengers pay a little a little less than the UK, but the state pays a vast amount more.
The operating cost of French rail costing comes out at €60 per Kilometre, versus a European average at €30.
SNCF is a heavy and growing user of taxpayers money, Its total subsidy has risen by 80 % in nine years.
Un Quote.
People are going to say, yes but what about all the new high speed lines that they have built that must be included in those costs and yes they would be right.
Germany and Spain have done the same by the way.
Are these the figures from Todays Railways Europe publication? The reason that I ask is that I can also find all sorts of publications like …
However for the moment I cannot seem to find any ‘official figures’. If you care to point me in the right direction Michael I would appreciate it 
Are you calling me a liar?
Michael I am trying to have a reasonable discussion here. I merely asked whether the figures you are saying are FACTS are from the publication you mentioned or if you have other sources. Get off your high horse please !
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The thing is - those supporting the current strikes at SNCF just don’t get it. A State run ‘service’ (!) with a well documented, accumulated public debt in excess of 50€billion, yes billion! The debt of the SNCF increases by three billion euros every 12 months, and is currently costing every tax-paying French household 800 euros each year (RFI). Who the heck do the supporters think pays for that? It smacks of ‘just print some more money’ syndrome. There doesn’t seem to be any ‘mental’ connection in the psyche of the supporters between public debt and taxation. They just don’t see themselves as the ‘State’.
The following article was quoted on a local (to me) Facebook page supporting the strikers and making the point that in the UK, ‘privatised’ train tickets are the most expensive in Europe. The thinking being that if SNCF were to be privatised it would go the same way. Most possibly…but then that would simply be the French population waking up to the real cost of things instead of the cosseted State (i.e. tax payer!) funding they’ve been used to since time began.
Lovely trains, normally run on-time (when they do run!), staff everywhere (260,000), reasonable prices - but doesn’t make a cent!! It’s not a business - it’s a bloody charity!
Lack of education…bit dim ? :-
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By law I cannot quote from Todays Railways Europe, the same article was copied from Saturdays Daily Telegraph by an article by Juliet Samuel on page 17 if you do not believe me.
And by the way I have never been questioned like this before in my life and I am not happy about it !!!
Well Michael I am sorry if you don’t like that a perfectly reasonable question was posed to you. This site does encourage questions, discussions and debates.
If you are not happy to join in with these well that’s your problem and not mine!
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Are you Admin now.
Nobody is calling you liar, just seeking clarification/source as far as I can see.
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Thank you James, exactly that, no hidden agenda
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I see no reason why the public transport system should not be seen as an essential public service run at the public expense. The UK rail services are staggeringly more expensive than the French, and much less convenient, comfortable and clean.
Very many workers have to use public transport to get to their city centre workplaces, and pay extortionate prices for their commutes. The UK government has a policy of FIFO, a key concept we have recently been introduced to. It means, in translation, if you cannot get to your hospital job because you can’t afford to ride the train, get another job, loser!
Pulling facts out of the air, seemingly, doesn’t square with the experience of most working people, and their views are ignored at this UK Government’s peril IMO. Another bloody useless war has been used too many times as an election distraction for it to have much purchase with the public, but they’ve got nothing else in the locker, so let’s lob a few missiles at the Syrians as a smoke-screen. After all, the Trump thing is riding high in public esteem at present, and we can bask in his forthcoming glory!
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Just me and nobody else, Strange.
Hi Michael…
Personally, I don’t think anyone was calling you a liar… but, on the other hand, I can see how irritating it can be to have one’s facts/figures queried.
However…after all the Brexit tish and tosh, with figures and facts coming and going like the sunshine this winter… I think it is reasonable to ask for the source of ANY info… and, of course, some sort of Link is always gratefully received.
cheers
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Thank you Stella, I gave ANN the source but she came back saying she could not find it so i gave her another source because I could not give a link to my original source, like you write nobody like being queried on ones facts/figures.
I have a lifetime experience in the Railway industry and my company is still hiring out locomotives to other railway company’s so I like to think that I know what I am talking about.
Once again thank you Stella, Rant over.
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