From Friday, holiday departures will suffer serious interruptions. “Not all trains will leave”, but “the objective is to guarantee one TGV in two” this weekend, Christophe Fanichet, general director of SNCF Voyageurs, announced on Franceinfo on Wednesday. The railway company is hit by an angry movement of controllers expected until Monday morning and expects traffic disruptions “Friday, Saturday and Sunday”.
“We will start as many trains as possible in the snow. The objective is to guarantee departures and returns on the snow and I am confident about this”, assures Christophe Fanichet. Furthermore, “there must be as many Ouigo as there are Inoui”, he continued: “Small budgets are equally a priority.” concerns traveling children, “we will do our best, I hope that almost all the children will be able to leave thanks to our service” Junior & Cie, added the representative, who however presented customers with the company’s “apologies” which unfortunately he won’t be able to go on holiday this weekend.”
More precise forecasts are expected “around 3pm”, but “text messages and emails are now arriving to all travellers” to inform them whether the journey will continue or not. Passengers whose train is canceled are invited to “change their train ticket for free”, as there are still seats available on several lines. “In most cases, you will be able to leave this weekend by going back a few hours or the following day,” insisted the general director of SNCF Voyageurs. If there is no alternative, “of course you will be refunded 100%” and the railway company is currently working towards “exceptional compensation”, he added.
Stalemate with the controllers
The controllers are called to strike by SUD Rail and CGT Cheminots, but also by the national collective ASCT (CNA). After a strong mobilization at Christmas 2022, they return to ask for wage increases, in the middle of the school holidays in zone C (Île-de-France) and at the beginning of those in zone A (Bordeaux, Lyon, Grenoble…). An “incomprehensible movement” for the management of the SNCF, criticized Christophe Fanichet on Franceinfo, recalling that “each controller in his place means 500 French people who will be able to go on holiday”.
SUD Rail had warned on Tuesday that the mobilization would be significant, counting on a figure “between 70 and 80%” of strikers on some TGV routes, in particular the South-East axis which serves in particular the ski resorts of Alps. “The management was unable to respond to our requests and calm the anger,” Julien Troccaz, federal secretary of the union, explained to Parisian on Tuesday. The latter would ideally require an increase in the work bonus of 500 euros gross per month, but he says he is ready to restart the trains ”if the management were to drop from 150 to 200 euros”, i.e. more than double what the controllers had obtained during their Christmas 2022. mobilization.
Only CFDT Cheminots had withdrawn its strike notice after a final meeting organized on Monday evening in the presence of the railway company’s CEO, Jean-Pierre Farandou. The latter assured RTL on Tuesday morning that the SNCF will do everything to maintain “continuity of service” on the lines and so that “all cities are served”, regretting despite everything that the group “cannot completely agree” on this point. weekend of holiday departures.
What steps is SNCF taking to minimize train service disruptions during the controllers’ strike?
Interview between the Time.news Editor and Christophe Fanichet, General Director of SNCF Voyageurs
Time.news Editor: Thank you for joining us today, Christophe. As we understand it, the upcoming weekend is expected to bring significant disruptions to train services due to a strike by controllers. Can you tell us what passengers can expect in terms of service availability?
Christophe Fanichet: Thank you for having me. Yes, we are facing a challenging weekend as we anticipate serious interruptions to our holiday departures. Our primary objective is to guarantee that at least one TGV train departs for every two scheduled. We’re working to ensure that as many trains as possible can still operate, even with the weather conditions and the current strike situation.
Time.news Editor: That’s concerning news for those planning to travel. Can you elaborate on the specific measures you are taking in light of this strike?
Christophe Fanichet: Certainly. We will start as many trains as possible despite the snowfall. Our key focus is on facilitating departures and returns during the holidays. It’s important for us to accommodate all passengers, especially families traveling with children. We are prioritizing both our Inoui and Ouigo services to ensure that there are options available for all budgets.
Time.news Editor: Speaking of families, can you clarify what services are available specifically for young travelers?
Christophe Fanichet: Absolutely. We have our Junior & Cie service, which is designed specifically for children. We understand how important it is for families to travel together during the holidays, and we are making every effort to ensure that nearly all children can still celebrate their time off thanks to our services. However, I must apologize to our customers in advance, as we can’t guarantee that everyone will be able to travel this weekend.
Time.news Editor: Understandably, communication is key in these situations. How are you keeping passengers informed about their travel status?
Christophe Fanichet: We’re proactive in our communications. We started sending out text messages and emails to travelers to keep them updated on their journey’s status. Around 3 PM, we plan to provide more precise forecasts regarding train availability. Passengers whose trains are canceled can change their tickets for free, and we still have seats available on various lines.
Time.news Editor: If passengers cannot be accommodated on alternate services, what options do they have?
Christophe Fanichet: In cases where there is no alternative service available, we guarantee a full refund—100% of the ticket price. Additionally, we are working towards exceptional compensation for affected customers to ease their travel woes.
Time.news Editor: Now, let’s discuss the root cause of this strike. You mentioned that it’s being organized by SUD Rail, CGT Cheminots, and the national collective ASCT. What are the primary demands from the controllers, and how is SNCF responding?
Christophe Fanichet: The controllers are striking primarily for wage increases. It’s a critical moment, especially given the holiday period and the challenges we faced last Christmas. We truly value our employees and are committed to engaging in dialogue to address their concerns while balancing the operational capabilities of our services.
Time.news Editor: It’s certainly a complex situation. What message do you want to send to passengers who might be disheartened by these disruptions?
Christophe Fanichet: I understand the frustration this situation may cause, particularly during the holiday season. We are doing everything in our power to minimize disruptions and to support our passengers. We appreciate their understanding and patience as we navigate through this challenging time together.
Time.news Editor: Thank you for sharing your insights, Christophe. We hope your team can navigate these challenges successfully and wish you the best of luck this weekend.
Christophe Fanichet: Thank you for having me. I appreciate the support, and we’ll do our best to ensure that our customers can enjoy their holidays.