Railway creche to open next year

WORKING parents will be able to leave their children at a creche inside their local railway station under a new initiative being tested out near Lyon.

The service, reported to be the first of its kind in France, is expected to open next September in the Loire commuter town of Roanne, about 85km north-east of the country’s third-biggest city.

The “micro-creche” facility will have enough room for nine children, with priority given to parents who hold a commuter season ticket for the local train network.

They will be able to drop off their children as early as 6.45 in the morning and pick them up again by 19.00, but this will be extended if the trains home are running late.

The facility will be based in 170 square metres of the station building that used to house the left luggage facility.

The area will be specially renovated, including an enclosed outdoor play area and sound-proofing to make sure children are not woken up by the sound of passing trains.

The €200,000 project is being joint-funded by the SNCF and the Rhône Alpes region.

It will be run by an outside agency, Gaderisettes, which specialises in providing creche facilities and will employ four staff.