Paris, Sep 8 (IANS): Domestic train ticket sales in France hit a record-breaking number of 24 million this summer, Minister Delegate for Transport Clement Beaune said.

Beaune told radio station Franceinfo on Thursday that over 800 mainline trains were put into service across the country during the summer season, adding 450,000 to 500,000 additional seats compared to the number available in the summer of 2022, reports Xinhua news agency.

Meanwhile, the CEO of the French national railway company's passenger train section, Christophe Fanichet, told French newspaper 20 Minutes that the new record of ticket sales was 4 per cent higher than in the summer of 2022.

The occupancy rate of high-speed trains (TGV) in France exceeded 80 per cent during the summer season, and 40 per cent of these trains were full, Fanichet added.

The Atlantic coast and the Mediterranean were particularly popular destinations this summer, he said, while ticket sales also increased sharply for "green destinations" such as the Alps, Burgundy, and Alsace.

Rail traffic was boosted by leisure trips, although business travel was still down 10 to 15 per cent compared with pre-Covid times, Fanichet explained.

Meanwhile, international high-speed trains (the Eurostar, Thalys, and trains to Spain) carried 6 million passengers, he said.