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The strike movement announced for next Monday will lead to the removal of 85% of TGVs between Paris and Bordeaux. Regional trains will also be very disrupted.
The SNCF will ensure the circulation on Monday of five direct TGV round trips between Paris and Bordeaux (above), i.e. around 15% of the planned offer,
AFP
A signalmen’s strike in New Aquitaine will seriously disrupt rail traffic in the south-west of France on Monday, with in particular the cancellation of 85% of the TGVs between Paris and Bordeaux and “very disrupted” regional traffic, a announced the SNCF, Friday.
The SNCF will ensure the circulation of five direct TGV round trips between Paris and Bordeaux, that is to say approximately 15% of the planned offer, “for customers who absolutely need to travel that day” by train. “All travelers who can are invited to postpone their trip to another date,” said a spokesperson for SNCF Voyageurs.
The strike call was launched by the CGT-Cheminots and a union, the UNSA-railway, to demand better management of career endings and measures to ensure staff loyalty, said the UNSA.
The signalmen, who are employees of the SNCF Réseau company, are also demanding an increase in their work bonus, while the employees of the SNCF Voyageurs company benefited from a bonus of 600 euros at the end of last year. “People from the Network are also asking for it because Voyageurs does not run its trains on its own,” explains Didier Mathis, secretary general of the UNSA-ferroviaire.
No TGV south of Bordeaux
No TGV will run south of Bordeaux, towards Hendaye and Toulouse. With regard to Intercités, the service will also be “very disrupted” with only two round trips between Toulouse and Marseille on the Bordeaux-Marseille line, two Toulouse-Bayonne round trips and no Nantes-Bordeaux train.
The Paris-Orléans-Limoges-Toulouse train and the Paris-Rodez/Toulouse and Paris-Latour de Carol/Lourdes night trains will run normally, the spokesperson said. The TGV Inoui, Ouigo and Intercités customers concerned will be notified and will be able to exchange their ticket or get a refund, he added.
Connections not guaranteed
The TER transport plan in New Aquitaine is to be published later, but SNCF Réseau is already announcing “serious disruptions” on the lines between Bordeaux and Hendaye, Tarbes, Agen, Arcachon, Périgueux, Angoulême, Nantes, as well as on the lines Hendaye-Tarbes, Poitiers-La Rochelle and Poitiers-Angoulême. Connections between TER and main lines will not be guaranteed.
The switchmen’s strike is scheduled for Sunday 7 p.m. to Tuesday 8 a.m., but traffic should be “near normal” Sunday evening.
“Extensive negotiations were held. Despite the proposals made by SNCF Réseau, the notice has not been lifted, “said SNCF Réseau, in a press release, saying that it wished “the continuation of the dialogue”.
(AFP)