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The new Optimum class from SNCF excludes children, and it's causing quite a stir!

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The Editor

©SNCF

With its new Optimum Plus class, SNCF is excluding children under 12. This move is stirring up controversy as the French population continues to decline.

On trains, we knew about the famous first class or even Business class, which allows for more comfortable travel, in peace and with more space. But this year, SNCF decided to think bigger with the creation of a new class called Optimum and Optimum Plus, replacing the Business Première class. 

The concept? Enjoy an exclusive comfort in a space entirely dedicated, with wide reclining seats, for instance. So on paper, everything looks great, except for one detail: this class is accessible only to individuals aged 12 and older. Children are therefore excluded from these cars, where no-kids is becoming increasingly important. 


Not accepting kids for adult comfort

This Optimum Plus class, now available on TGV Inoui, is currently valid only for trips between Paris and Lyon. Its aim is to meet the specific expectations of our professional clients or those seeking a unique travel experience with personalized support and flexibility , as SNCF stated in a press release. 

In fact, the railway company has decided that « children are not alloweds ». This decision sparked a reaction from Sarah El Haïry, the High Commissioner for Childhood, who was interviewed by BFMTV : « When it feels like the comfort of adults comes at the expense of children, it’s shocking. »


Are we really going no-kids even on trains? 

This only highlights the growing no-kids trend spreading in more and more restaurants and hotels. This trend views children as a problem and a potential disturbance to adults' peace. However, as Sarah El Haïry points out, « we cannot say, « "We are having fewer children, we have demographic problems" and sending such harsh signals, referring to the number of births that were lower than the number of deaths in 2025.

To explain herself, Gaëlle Babault, director of TGV Inoui Offers at SNCF Voyageurs, stated in a video that « 92% of the seats are offered to everyone [from Monday to Friday] and 100% on weekends » and that this measure has been present « for years in our previous Business Première offer, without raising any negative feedback ». The High Commissioner for Children reminds us that « traveling with children is not a problem to fix, but a reality to support ».