New rail reduction card launched

A NEW kind of card offering reductions on train tickets has been launched, called a carte enfant famille.

This is for families with relatively low incomes and at least one child under 18 but not enough (three or more) to qualify for the reductions available through the carte familles nombreuses.

The card allows for reductions of at least 25% and as much as 50% and is only for trains where reservation is obligatory (TGVs and Corail Téoz and Corail Lunea). The highest reductions will be for a limited number of tickets, usually for ones booked well in advance or on trains that are not at peak times.

To qualify for the new card, which costs €15/year, the net annual income of the household (as worked out by the caisse d’allocations familiales - caf- allowing for certain deductions) should not be more than €21,991 if the family has one child, €27,066 if they have two, €32,141 with three and then €5,075 per each extra child.

The ceilings are the same for eligibility for the allocation de rentrée scolaire and to get a card you have to ask for an attestation from your caf proving you are eligible for the card. You then take this to a station to buy the card.

More than three million households are eligible to benefit.

Local trains are not concerned at present, though negotiations are to take place between the SNCF and regional councils, whose agreement would be needed as they would get less income from ticket sales.

The card will also not give special offers in certain shops and leisure activities, as does the long-established carte familles nombreuses. However this may change if the organisations concerned agree.

Family Minister Nadine Morano has said the state will fund the card, which will cost about €2 million a year if all eligible people take it up (however this is thought unlikely, as only two million of the five million people eligible for the carte famille nombreuse have one).

Photo:Sebastian Terfloth