The Rail Pass initiative, launched in France, aimed to encourage young travelers aged 16 to 27 to explore the country using regional trains. Despite selling 235,376 subscriptions, the figures fell short of the government's expectations of 700,000 sales.
The Pass Rail allowed users to travel unlimited on TER and Intercités trains for a monthly fee of 49 euros during July and August, resulting in 2.4 million journeys. However, the absence of TGV services in the plan led to some dissatisfaction among users.
The initiative cost 15 million euros, with funding split between state and regional authorities. While the results showcased a promising start, further assessments are needed to understand the long-term impact on young people's travel habits and the overall effectiveness of the rail pass.
Régions de France is conducting a qualitative survey to gauge the success of the Pass Rail in convincing young people to utilize train travel more frequently, with results expected by the end of September.
