Rail strike in France disrupts travelers during the winter vacations
Published: Friday, Feb 16th 2024, 18:20
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Three quarters of train managers took part in the rail strike in France on Friday. According to the French railroad SNCF, on average every second long-distance train is likely to be canceled at the weekend. Train services to Switzerland are also affected.
The strike will continue until Monday morning. For travelers from the greater Paris area, the weekend is in the middle of the school vacations. For several other large cities, it is the first vacation weekend. A total of one million travelers are expected, as the company explained. Trains transporting ski vacationers should also be given priority. To this end, rail services between Paris and Bordeaux were reduced by two thirds.
Many travelers tried to switch to buses or carpooling. The Blablacar platform, which offers carpooling and bus rides, recorded a two-fold increase in requests on Friday.
Switzerland also affected
SBB advises passengers to contact the affected railroad companies to find out about the possible impact on their journey. The operator of the TGV Lyria high-speed trains wrote on its website on Thursday that connections between Paris, Geneva, Lausanne, Basel and Zurich would be canceled on Friday and Saturday.
The strike is the result of a movement of train managers, who are responsible for both ticket inspections and security in France. It was formed independently of the trade unions. However, several unions also support the strike. The strikers accuse the company of failing to keep its promises after the last massive strike around Christmas 2022.
The railroad rejects this. "The company has kept its promises from 2022," said the head of SNCF Voyages, Christophe Fanichet. He referred to additional jobs and the payment of bonuses.
Over the past three years, there have been wage increases of 17 percent, said Alain Krakovitch, head of SNCF's TGV-Intercités division. The agreement from the end of 2022 provided for additional jobs and more generous pension arrangements, among other things.
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