The topic of elevated costs within the French rail transportation system has been a matter of worry and discussion. The perception of high prices is influenced by a number of factors, and resolving these issues is crucial to maintaining an equitable and reasonably priced rail transportation system.
Recently, the TGV in France is quite expensive for users, and it becomes more cost-effective to drive if there are two or more people traveling. This degrades the public transportation system. If a student needs to travel during peak hours, the cost of transportation from Paris to Lyon is 95 euros.
For French consumers as well as state budgets, the TGV is an extremely costly answer. The investment requires public funds, and all of the TGV lines—aside from the Paris-Lyon line—have benefited greatly from substantial subsidies. Economist Yves Crozet notes that, based on current (optimistic) traffic forecasts, the Bordeaux-Toulouse high-speed line project will require 35 euros of public money per year per passenger for 50 years, which is twice as much per kilometer as the Paris-Rennes TGV.