Transporting your motorbike/scooter by train with SNCF

A month ago, I was invited to discover the SNCF's Auto/Train.

What's that?

If you want to get down south, but don't want the fatigue of the journey, the exorbitant cost of tolls, or your bike's cubic capacity is too limited: take the train!

The Auto-Train service lets you take your motorcycle on a train dedicated to transporting vehicles (motorcycles or cars) to 12 destinations from Paris. Last year, 9,000 two-wheelers were transported across France.

How does it work?

I went to the Paris Bercy train station to see a demonstration of the service, which allowed me to discover it from start to finish.

The principle is simple: you drop off your 2-wheeler during the day. The pick-up time for your 2-wheeler is around 45 minutes, depending on how busy it is. Then SNCF staff load your vehicle into the transport wagon. The journey takes place overnight, and you pick up your bike at your destination the next day.

Of course, you don't have to take the train to get off. You can reach your 2-wheeler by the means of transport of your choice.

This service has been available for 2-wheelers since 1979. For cars, it's been available since 1957.

If there's room, you can book your trip on an Auto/Train up to 24 hours before departure.

What types of vehicle can use this service?

All motorcycles/scooters over 49.9 cm3 can use this service. It also works for MP3s and other 3-wheeled vehicles. The only constraint is that the vehicle must not exceed 1.55 m in height and have a minimum ground clearance of 0.10 m. Windscreens (bubbles) over 1m55 must be removed before boarding.

You can see everything on the SNCF platforms waiting to be loaded.

How much does it cost?

The service starts at 99€ for a motorcycle or scooter at the Prem's rate. This can rise to 202€ depending on the destination in Flexi fare (Rates in force on January 2, 2014). So it's best to book in advance.

How do you load your 2-wheeler?

Loading seems to be done with care by SNCF agents. The "Jockey" who handles the bike is a licensed motorcyclist. The bike is always strapped down by two people. The jockey takes the motorcycle to the lower floor of the car-train and remains on the motorcycle until the second agent, the "Caleur", has finished strapping down the front part of the motorcycle. Loading and strapping a 2-wheeler takes about 15 minutes for two people.

Protective foams are placed over the strapping points. Each bike is secured with 4 straps. The straps are new each time. They are single-use and will be cut at destination. Each strap has a resistance capacity of 1000 kg.

The outfits of the chockers and jockeys have no attachment points to avoid scratching your 2-wheeler.

Finally, as motorcycles are loaded on the lower floor of the auto-trains, they are partly protected from the elements.

How are vehicles insured?

Since the introduction of this service, there has been no theft. In the event of damage to the vehicle on collection, a joint damage report is completed and signed with the reception agent.

The compensation value of an item is limited to €389. If several components are damaged on your vehicle, the maximum compensation is 3812€ for a 2-wheeler. This still leaves a good margin in the event of a problem, especially as the litigation rate is less than 1% per year.

Finally, if you wish, you can take out additional insurance for as little as €20.

Now you know everything about Moto/Train :)

Note that by using this service you'll avoid speed cameras and limit your CO2 emissions: save money by being green!

Too bad the number of destinations is limited at the moment.

Due to a lack of profitability, SNCF has decided to stop transporting vehicles (cars or motorcycles) by night train. This began in 2018 with the abandonment of 7 cities: Bordeaux, Biarritz, Briançon, Brive-la-Gaillarde, Lyon, Narbonne and Toulouse. This greatly reduced the service's appeal. The other routes have been discontinued until the end of 2019. This seems totally absurd at a time when we're talking about fighting global warming. This historic SNCF service has existed for 60 years.