The SNCF ends the composting of train tickets

SNFC is gradually burying physical train tickets, which are no longer mandatory to validate, and ticket machines will disappear at stations.

Stamping your ticket is a thing of the past. This practice was a habit for decades among the French, who always instinctively passed their train ticket through a machine. But times are changing, and so is SNCF, which will remove ticket validation machines from its stations.

Tickets now digital

In less than 15 years, digital has replaced physical tickets. Launched in 2010, digital tickets or e-tickets, stored on smartphones or via apps, have become the norm and now hold a near monopoly. According to SNCF, one percent of TGV and Intercités tickets remain physical, and only 4% for TER tickets, as reported on BFMTV.

In light of this, the company decided to make ticket validation mandatory no longer, starting from January 1, 2023. As a result, ticket validation machines are no longer justified. SNCF will gradually remove around 3,200 machines, citing “significant maintenance costs each year”, as explained by a spokesperson. Travelers will be informed starting at the end of January directly on the machines, but no specific date has been announced for their removal.

Paris metro tickets also disappearing?

Just like SNCF train tickets, the iconic cardboard tickets are gradually disappearing in the capital. At the end of 2021, the region launched a digital version of transit passes, validated via the NFC chip on smartphones. It is now possible to buy tickets, individually or in packs of 10, through the IDF Mobilités app or transfer them onto Pass Navigo. Additionally, the price is more advantageous and incentivizing: 20 cents less per ticket and a 2.20 € difference per pack of 10. Île-de-France also announced plans to remove tickets from certain sales points in 2023.

Read also: Cheap train tickets: how to travel without breaking the bank?