A French railway company has faced a backlash after offering a new child-free section in its premium carriages.
Starting this month, weekday TGV trains running to and from Paris have a new and exclusive area of first class known as Optimum, which some have accused of discriminating against passengers under 12.
SNCF, which provides the service on its main Inoui brand of express trains across France and into Germany and Luxembourg, says the new category is intended for “frequent travellers, often business travellers, who want to enjoy greater comfort”.
The state-owned organisation promises: “Exclusive comfort in a fully dedicated first-class carriage, with seating arrangements designed to preserve your privacy, for a calm journey, ideal for working or relaxing.”
The secret for a calm journey is divulged deep in the detail: “To ensure maximum comfort in the dedicated space, children are not permitted.”
Stray under-12s will not be passing through the carriage either, SNCF explains: “The carriage is located at the end of the train to prevent other passengers from walking through the Optimum dedicated area.”
But on the news service BFM, the French high commissioner for children, Sarah El Haïry, denounced what she called the “no kids” ban as “shocking”.
She told the broadcaster: “Travelling with children is not a problem to be fixed, but a reality to be supported.”
Ms El Haïry proposed, instead, more family-friendly options and said she would meet the SNCF group chief executive, Jean Castex, to discuss the child ban.
The rail firm has now responded to social media fury about the “no kids” policy.
Gaëlle Babault, director of TGV Inoui Offers for SNCF, posted on the operator’s Instagram account: “Our Optimum offer occupies less than 8 per cent of the space on a TGV Inoui and only from Monday to Friday. This means that 92 per cent of the other seats are available to everyone – and 100 per cent on weekends.”
SNCF now faces competition with Italian state rail firm Trenitalia on the prime Paris-Lyon route. Trenitalia offers an Area de Silenzio area that “allows passengers calm, without any noise”.
Trenitalia is silent on whether children are banned from this space.
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