French rail seeks to woo back clients from ridesharing
French rail operator SNCF on Wednesday announced an unlimited monthly pass for young adults in order to woo back a key client segment from ridesharing apps.
For 79 euros ($85) per month, those aged 16-27 years can buy a pass to board nearly all of SNCF's regular and high-speed trains to all of its destinations.
"All that for a monthly price that is less ... than a Paris-Marseille return trip by ridesharing," SNCF said in statement.
Ridesharing apps like BlaBlaCar have grown in popularity in France, where ultra-low cost intercity bus services have also mushroomed in recent years.
Young adults make up one in five riders, but are most likely to switch from one form of transport to another, said Rachel Picard, deputy chief executive of SNCF's passenger unit, at a news conference.
State-owned SNCF has ventured into intercity bus services and also has a ridesharing service of its own, but which focuses more on pooling rides to and from its train stations.