Outcry after France’s famed TGV rail service bans children from new premium-class carriage

France’s high-speed rail service TGV INOUI has introduced a new premium-class carriage, Optimum, that bans children, causing backlash. The new class, which offers privacy and quiet, is priced at €180 ($211) for a Paris-Lyon route. Critics, including French officials, argue this is discrimination against children, especially concerning as France recorded more deaths than births last year. SNCF, the national rail operator, defends the move, stating that the Optimum class seats represent only 8% of the available space and that the company has always refused to restrict children’s access to certain areas of their trains.