You are a retired SNCF employee and you use your Carmillon pass to travel by train at a reduced rate or even for free. However, with the complete digitization on the MFCD portal, double authentication, and the recently implemented tax rules, the guidelines have changed. Here’s what you need to remember to enjoy your travel benefits smoothly in 2026.
MFCD Double Authentication: The Technical Lock That Still Blocks Some Retirees
Before discussing trips or discounts, a technical point deserves full attention. The MFCD portal (My Digital Travel Facility) now centralizes the management of the Carmillon pass and all travel benefits. The connection requires double authentication for each session: you designate a trusted device (smartphone or tablet), then you enter a validation code received via SMS or notification.
Why does this detail matter so much? Because many retirees still share a single email address with their spouse. However, each beneficiary must have their own email address to activate and manage their rights on MFCD. A couple using the same email box will see the second account blocked upon creation.
If you have not yet set up this double authentication, start by creating a dedicated email address for each beneficiary, then follow the procedure to designate a trusted device directly on the portal. Without this step, no reservation or download of transport tickets will be possible.
To fully understand the conditions of the SNCF retired Carmillon pass, keep in mind that everything now goes through this unique portal, including checking your rights and those of your beneficiaries.
Taxation of Travel Benefits: Who is Affected in 2026
The taxation of travel benefits (FC) is the most concrete change for the personal finances of railway workers. The principle: free or reduced-rate trips constitute a benefit in kind, and this benefit becomes taxable.
But not everyone is treated the same. Only retirees whose departure date is after January 1, 2024, are affected by this taxation. If you retired before this date, your travel benefits remain outside the current tax scope.
For those affected, an explanatory document has been sent by Optim’services. It details the valuation of the benefit in kind and its integration into the income declaration. The declared amount depends on the volume of trips taken and the type of train used (TGV, TER, Intercités).
What Taxation Changes Concretely
- Your travel benefits appear on your tax notice as a benefit in kind, which may change your marginal tax rate or your reference taxable income
- The reference taxable income serves as the basis for many aids (property tax, complementary health insurance, APL), so an increase may lead to the loss of certain benefits
- SNCF directly transmits the valuation data to the tax administration, and you do not have to take any additional declarative steps
This mechanism prepares for tighter control over all benefits related to the Carmillon pass, including for employees still active.
SNCF Retired Carmillon Pass: Actual Scope of Rights in the Network
The Carmillon pass provides access to the national railway network operated by SNCF. This includes TGV, Intercités, and TER. The conditions vary depending on the beneficiary’s status (retired holder, spouse, dependent child) and the type of train.
On TGVs, travel benefits allow for free or very reduced-rate travel, but subject to availability. The seats allocated to FC beneficiaries are not unlimited: on highly demanded routes (Paris-Lyon, Paris-Marseille during the summer), it often happens that slots are fully booked several weeks in advance.
FIP Card and International Travel
To travel outside France, the Carmillon pass alone is not enough. The FIP card (International Travel Facilities) allows you to obtain a discount on the rail networks of more than thirty partner countries. This card is automatically renewed and must be presented to the conductor along with the ticket.
Requests for international permits and the renewal of the FIP card go through a form available on the SNCF Retirees Service portal. Note: the FIP discount is generally half of the normal fare, but some networks apply different conditions.
Extended Travel Benefits to the Railway Sector: What It Means
The extension of travel benefits to the entire railway sector represents a structural evolution. Specifically, FC is no longer limited to the historical SNCF scope. Employees and retirees of subsidiaries or companies in the railway sector can, under certain conditions, access similar rights.
For SNCF retirees, this extension does not directly change existing rights. However, it leads to a more uniform regulatory framework and a sharing of costs among the different entities in the sector. Ongoing union negotiations particularly focus on guaranteeing the remuneration of railway workers transferred to subsidiaries, a topic that indirectly affects the travel rights of future retirees from these structures.
Daily Management of the Carmillon Pass: Anticipating Points of Friction
Some situations frequently arise in feedback from retirees:
- Loss of password or MFCD identifier blocks all access to FC. The recovery procedure goes through the email address associated with the account, highlighting the importance of using an address you check regularly
- Major beneficiaries (children over 21, for example) lose their rights unless exceptions provided by internal regulations apply. Check the status of your beneficiaries on MFCD every year
- Reserved but unused trips without prior cancellation may lead to a report. SNCF monitors ghost reservations to free up unused FC seats
Check your MFCD account at least once a quarter to ensure that your personal information, email address, and list of beneficiaries are up to date. A simple oversight in updating can block a reservation on the day you need it.