Ticket barriers at French stations

[AY1975]

SNCF has started to install ticket gates on TGV platforms at a number of main line stations, including Paris Nord and Montparnasse.

Has anyone had any experience of using them? Do you still have to "composter" (validate) your ticket before passing through the gate, or have the gates eliminated the need for "compostage"? Do you know what, if any, provision SNCF has in place for rail pass holders?

(The sleeve of an Interrail pass has a barcode to operate the new ticket gates in the Netherlands - I would hope that they will soon do the same for SNCF barriers if they haven't done already.)

 

[SHD]

Yes! (Frenchman here)

These gates do not eliminate the need for compostage of tickets (when this operation is necessary). Think of them as a platform access control device.

They are equipped with barcode/QR-code readers.

They can read any support: IATA-sized paper tickets (whether “old-style” tickets or e-ticket memos printed on IATA ticket stock), print-at-home A4 e-ticket memo, smartphone screen, frequent traveller card...

Regarding compostage:

E-tickets are becoming the norm on TGVs and Intercités - as an example, Prems fares will soon be issued as e-tickets only. In addition, for subscribers to the loyalty program (Grand Voyageur), e-tickets are handy since the card number serves as the UID for the ticket - and any physical support is accepted: QR Code on the card, SNCF app on a smartphone, etc. It is not even necessary to be a subscriber to the program to load an e-ticket into the SNCF app, by the way.

E-tickets are not concerned by “compostage” - this only applies to traditional domestic tickets issued on IATA stock - indeed, it would be impossible to physically “composter” an e-ticket as it is essentially a record somewhere in SNCF’s databases.

Traditional IATA tickets now bear a barcode to operate the gates.

I cannot answer precisely your question regarding Interrail. However, if I am not mistaken, you must purchase a réservation to travel on TGVs and mandatory reservation Intercités with Interrail - these réservations will most certainly be issued with a barcode that will operate the gates.

https://en.oui.sncf/en/pass/seat-reservation

 

[dutchflyer]

The 'new'' barriers are mainly/only for trains with compulsory REServation-so any IR-holder should also have that extra ticket. These can be booked online on the voyages.sncf site since at least 1 year now. The barriers are mostly meant to prevent fraud on these shorter trips-where bands of people group together to hold up the conductor checking tickets-they simply pool the prices paid-with most not having any at all.
There are since many years also the normal ticket-barriers in the greater Paris area, also on most SNCF-lines open to IR-holders-for these you first need to get special (undated, not linked to any service) tickets (with barcode-same type as metro, edmonson size) and thee can be sometimes very hard to get.

 

[AY1975]

The 'new'' barriers are mainly/only for trains with compulsory REServation-so any IR-holder should also have that extra ticket. These can be booked online on the voyages.sncf site since at least 1 year now. The barriers are mostly meant to prevent fraud on these shorter trips-where bands of people group together to hold up the conductor checking tickets-they simply pool the prices paid-with most not having any at all.
There are since many years also the normal ticket-barriers in the greater Paris area, also on most SNCF-lines open to IR-holders-for these you first need to get special (undated, not linked to any service) tickets (with barcode-same type as metro, edmonson size) and thee can be sometimes very hard to get.

That's right - it's called a "contremarque".

 

[daikilo]

Please note that the SNCF travel website is now www.oui.sncf.com. As far as I can see the old address is no longer accessible.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Please note that the SNCF travel website is now www.oui.sncf.com. As far as I can see the old address is no longer accessible.

It's actually oui.sncf. I bet their own TLD cost them a packet.