One in two TGVs is running this Friday, with traffic expected on Sunday

Patrice Vagriet, the representative of the minister in charge of transport, expressed regret over the inspectors’ strike.

“These are a group of agents who are on strike today, who have benefited from an increase in their remuneration of between 17% and 20% for two years. So I think there was nothing to achieve this end of the strike. In the holiday weekend,” the minister said. declared.

>>> to read: Have railway workers really benefited from the substantial pay hike?

“I hope that from Monday, everyone will regain a sense of responsibility, return to the negotiating table and be able to do so in the most open, most serious, most respectful social dialogue possible,” added Patrice Vergrit.

The Minister assures that he has confidence in the management of the unions and SNCF. “I think from Monday we will have a balanced social dialogue.”

Delegate Patrice Vagriet, the minister in charge of transport, believes that the trains to be favored in the framework of the strike were chosen fairly by SNCF, when mayors, especially from the west of France, were transferred to the east of the country. And the Alps are better considered.

“There were very clear criteria that I think are particularly legitimate. Obviously every mayor thinks about his city, his community and that’s legitimate, but SNCF should take regional equality into account. They chose trains that were overcrowded. , which trains. They were more concerned with children”, declared Patrice Vergrit near Montparnasse station in Paris.

“What is important is to look at the national level. Was it fair, I think yes, it was fair,” insisted the minister.

Faced with the numerous full or canceled trains that appear on the SNCF Connect app, many opt for the bus or car.

Traffic on French roads was normal on Friday morning, according to Bison Fute, but the Road Information Service is predicting difficulties on the A6 and Saturday afternoon vacation departures and returns on the roads connecting the ski resort.

Disruptions linked to the strike could also “reinforce traffic difficulties expected this weekend on the entire road network”, Bison Foote warned.

The BlaBlaCar platform “observed a doubling of demand for carpooling and reservations for buses after the announcement of the SNCF transport plan on Wednesday.

Connections to the Southwest (Bordeaux, Biarritz, etc.) are particularly affected by the controllers’ strike. And we count far less than the 1 in 2 TGVs announced by SNCF.

On LinkedIn, TGV Atlantic Axis director Franck Dubourdieu says he is “disappointed, incredulous and proud”.

“We don’t ask a senior executive to show his emotions in public, but this is a little too much for me. So I want to start by saying to the captain: Yes you are dysfunctional and recognized as such. Yes your job is demanding. And you do it very well, travelers testify to this. Yes the promises of December 2022 have been kept and moreover the exchanges with you confirm this to me every day.”

missed the appointment

“To the passengers, say: Yes, missed appointments this weekend are not normal and we are sorry. Yes we are thinking of you because the long weekend is often for us. The Champions League final that we carefully prepare for months. Advance. Yes we can fix this problem with a full refund of your ticket and 50% on your next trip”, he added.

“So this morning, I’m disappointed with this missed meeting, unbelievable because I don’t see what this extremism brings to the discussion because announcements of the coming stages were really on the table and proud of the railway staff who will do everything. This weekend to make our mission the best it can be.

Like many cities in the west of France, Poitiers has been hit hard by the SNCF controllers’ strike.

In front of a deserted station, taxis look terrible. “We have a 50% drop in customers,” assures taxi driver Laurent Bouffard, speaking to BFMTV.

“I only did one race when normally, we do at least 4 in the morning. It will be a bad day, we are suffering,” he continues.

On the western side, the number of train cancellations is numerous, well above the average of 1 in 2 TGVs announced by SNCF.

Enough to cause numerous cancellations in hotels.

In La Rochelle, the hotelier is seeing about sixty cancellations for this weekend. “The impact is very strong on leisure customers,” explains Cédrick Poucineau, operations director of the Cozy Hôtels Group, to BFMTV.

“In addition to cancellations, we’ve had about a 15% drop in reservations compared to last year, on weekends, we’ll lose 25% of activity,” he continues.

If the railway company promises an average of 1 out of 2 TGVs in circulation this weekend, certain destinations such as Bordeaux or La Rochelle will be significantly underserved.

An example on the axis to Bordeaux: Of the 24 TGVs normally running, 16 have been canceled this Saturday, BFMTV reported, or two-thirds.

>>> Read our article

+15, +20%: Many passengers who found their train canceled or could not book a train turned to bus companies.

Demand has increased since Wednesday. At the Bercy bus station in Paris this morning, as our report shows, there were many passengers.

While three out of four controllers are on strike this weekend, Alain Krakovich did not estimate the financial cost of compensation measures put in place by SNCF for injured passengers. “We don’t know yet how much it’s going to cost us,” he admitted on the TF1 set. Every other train.”

On this first day of the controllers’ strike over the weekend, guest on the TF1 morning show, Alain Krakovich, confirmed that the transport plan had been finalised. “We will have one of two trains on Sunday and our customers will receive an email, an SMS to let them know if their train is confirmed or cancelled,” indicated the director of TGV-Intercites.

For this first morning of the strike, there is sometimes trouble for passengers in the stations. This traveler explains, “It will take me about 10 hours to get back to Toulouse.

“We left Namur at 5:30 this morning and we will arrive at Lorient station at 6:48, so we are a bit tired,” said another passenger.

Three people are required to operate a train: the driver, the switchman and the controller. Without these three agents, no departure is possible.

10,000 crew chiefs work on SNCF on different brands: TGV Inoui, Ouigo, Intercités and TER. 70% are on strike this weekend.

All clarifications in our article.

While station-goers this Friday usually have a guaranteed seat on the train, many commuters have had to revise their plans to travel this weekend.

“I have to return to Paris, I have a very important meeting on Monday. But it’s not possible,” a passenger worried this Thursday.

Their testimonies in our paper.

SNCF plans to run 1 of 2 TGVs, 1 of 2 Ouigos and 1 of 2 Intercités (day and night) this weekend. Trains will be provided in the Alps for ski holidays.

Passengers were warned via email and text message about the disruptions on Wednesday.

All predictions in our article.

Hello and welcome to this live dedicated to this week’s first day of strikes at SNCF.

Most of the controllers have stopped work since Thursday evening, and the agitation will continue till Monday. The movement takes place in the middle of the school holidays: Zone C (Paris and Occitanie) start the 2nd week of their vacation and Zone A (Besançon, Bordeaux, Clermont-Ferrand, Dijon, Grenoble, Limoges, Lyon, Potieres) starts their vacation this Friday . the evening