No, cheating on the TGV is not a winning calculation

2023-05-18 10:02:36

This is an old received idea. It would be more profitable to pay a fine for a long-distance TGV journey than to pay the current ticket price. In a viral publication relayed on Facebook, liked more than 100,000 times, the example of a Lille-Lyon journey is given: if it costs 160 euros, the fine would only be 150 euros. “The choice is made,” the post states.

But, for those who might be tempted, an important detail is missing: the fine is to be paid in addition to the amount of the ticket for long journeys when the traveler has not presented himself spontaneously before the control operations. And this is only possible when accessing the train, outside the boarding device, or in the minutes following departure from the boarding station. There is a whole range of fines depending on the mileage, the situation concerned and the class of the traveler.

The SNCF details it in a document Passenger fares of January 2023 (p. 159): in a TGV, the fine varies between 17 and 330 euros, if it is increased. This can happen in the event of falsification of title, use by a third party, presentation of a card with a false date of birth, an e-ticket canceled before departure or a fraudulent upgrade.

Screenshot of the TGV regularization scales in second class. – Screenshot/SNCF Voyageurs

The fine is to be paid in addition to the ticket

For a Lille-Lyon journey of 556 km, if the customer has not presented himself spontaneously, the control scale applies. The fine is €160 in second class if payment is immediate or €210 if it is deferred, which includes a €50 administration fee, SNCF Voyageurs tells us. In addition, you will have to pay the price of the ticket at the on-board rate.

The company indicates that the maximum full fare in second class for this journey is €125. If the on-board fare is at this price, and the fine is 160 euros, the trip will have cost 285 euros. Not really profitable. “Most customers pay less [que 125 €] because of the anticipation or if they benefit from the Avantage card, it is therefore more advantageous to buy a ticket”, adds SNCF Voyageurs.

In addition, criminal and financial penalties are provided for by the Savary law in the event of the offense of habitual fraud. If more than 5 unpaid fines are accumulated over a year, the fraudster risks a fine of €7,500 and a prison sentence of 6 months. SNCF Travelers estimates the fraud at 200 million euros per year, the equivalent of 25 new TER trains.