French rail srike

[dggar]

I am due to travel on the sleeper train (no 4052) from Hendaye to Paris on Friday 27 June at 19:24. arriving Paris 07:19 on Saturday 28th. I have Eurostar tickets booked for 17:13 to London (train 9047).

If the strike disrupts this sleeper train what obligation do SNCF have to get me to Paris in order to connect with the Eurostar.

The sleeper train forms a part of my travel from Spain to Manchester. My outward journey on 12th June was disrupted by the cancellation of the sleeper from Paris to Latour de Carol and I had to book a flight from Manchester to Barcelona. Eurostar have refunded the outward journey from London to Paris and I have a claim in with SNCF to refund the Paris to Latour tickets.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

That's worrying, I am due to travel to and around France on 24 , 27, 29 June and 03 July.

Are there likely to be a number of strikes by SNCF then?

 

[ChiefPlanner]

My friends daughter is now on her 3d involuntarily night in Barcelona - I too got stuck in December 2012 in Barcelona and had to cough up for a flight home. I get really fed up with the SNCF and their staff behaviour. Go to Germany - it works there !

 

[burns20]

Geneva to Paris on 5th July for me.

Not used SNCF for a few years because of the lack of customer focus

 

[Gordon]

.

Rules are here (but only in French...)

http://www.sncf.com/fr/greve-questions-pratiques




.

 

[CC 72100]

They were on the track earlier at Montparnasse - a good hundred or so of them, stopping all trains for over an hour.

 

[Nean]

One of my friends tried to get home from Manchester to Strasbourg (Changes at London and Massy IIRC) With a fair bit of luggage due to moving back home at the end of uni and got stung with the strikes at ultra short notice... from what I gather it took something ridiculous like 8 changes in order to not have to use the paris metro or walk between stations.

 

[CC 72100]

And now the RATP guys (Paris metro and RER A East and B South) are threatening to strike too, in a 'show of solidarity' towards their SNCF brothers.

 

[Shimbleshanks]

I've just been on to voyages-sncf in the UK to resolve a problem with a booking for an overnight return journey from Paris to Nice on 27/29 June. At no stage did anyone there mention the possibility of a strike.
Have I now got something else to worry about?

 

[dggar]

I've just been on to voyages-sncf in the UK to resolve a problem with a booking for an overnight return journey from Paris to Nice on 27/29 June. At no stage did anyone there mention the possibility of a strike.
Have I now got something else to worry about?

quite probably, Google "French Rail Strike"

This is a useful site http://www.infolignes.com/index.php?lang=en

The overnight trains seem to be the first to be cancelled.

 

[CC 72100]

I've just been on to voyages-sncf in the UK to resolve a problem with a booking for an overnight return journey from Paris to Nice on 27/29 June. At no stage did anyone there mention the possibility of a strike.
Have I now got something else to worry about?

Its seems that the strike is coming to an end... even if it is officially still on over the next few days, the amount of trains running is on the up and participation down. By next week you may be ok.

 

[IanXC]

Interesting to look at the reasons for the strike:

The two unions leading the strike, the Communist-linked CGT and the even tougher-talking SUD, are against the government’s plans to merge two companies: the heavily indebted RFF, which runs the tracks, and the SNCF, which manages the trains. Although no jobs are at stake, the unions suspect that this reform could lead to changes in work practices, and want the government to take on the debt. In a meeting with SNCF management on June 16th, they also pressed for pay rises.

http://www.economist.com/blogs/char...nlw|newe|16-06-2014|5356bdce899249e1cca0fdc7|

A strike against the reuniting of wheels and rails? Couldn't be a bigger difference between union priorities in that area across the Channel!

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Didn't they strike against the split a few years ago?

 

[Gordon]

Didn't they strike against the split a few years ago?

You are absolutely correct.

This is the complete joke of it all!

 

[Oscar]

This does seem absurd and would appear to be more about muscle-flexing and French culture rather than the issue at stake. I've watched the French news a couple of times over the last week and the discussion is all about the situation for the baccalauréat pupils. I think the reason for strikes in general needs to be explained more in the media when they occur. Whilst I support a fair deal for workers, I don't think it's very fair that strikes impinge on passengers and undermine the service as a whole. Even if infrequent, I suspect that they can do great damage to perceptions. It would be better for workers to be more involved in management decisions rather than an "us and them" culture.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

A few war stories from friends who have done journeys last week , indicated the few TGV's running were mobbed , chaotic scenes at Gare de Lyon and delays due to strikers on the tracks - 1 hour stand at Nimes in once case.

 

[dggar]

The effects of the strike were still there for my return journey on 27th June

The dreaded eMail with the header
"Important : perturbation de votre voyage du 27/06/2014"
appeared in my inbox on 26th June.

Train 4052, which should start at HENDAYE on the Spanish/French border at 19:24. would now start at Drax at 20:33..
SNCF put on at two coach train to carry everyone booked for 4025 up to Drax.

I would advise anyone booking French rail travel to be sure that SNCF have your eMail address and to check your inbox regularly in the 48hrs preceding your journey.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

I Have just returned from my French trip which lucky enough was not affected by the recent strikes. My dates there were 24 June to 03 July and all was well apart from a delay last night from Paris to STP. All the strike problems on the trains seem to be over now.