Rail strike to cause major disruptions in south-west France today

A strike by rail signallers in Nouvelle-Aquitaine will “severely disrupt” services in south-west France today (January 24), SNCF has announced.

It will mean 85% of TGVs between Paris and Bordeaux will be cancelled that day and regional traffic will be heavily impacted.

SNCF will provide five direct TGV return trips between Paris and Bordeaux, equal to around 15% of the normal service, "for customers who absolutely need to travel that day", France's national state-owned railway company said.

"All passengers who can do so should postpone their journey [between Paris and Bordeaux] to another date," a spokesperson for SNCF Voyageurs said.

The strike is scheduled to last until tomorrow (January 25) 08:00.

SNCF Réseau said in a press release that following extensive talks with the workers, it wished "to continue the dialogue".

TGVs and Intercity trains affected

No TGVs will run south of Bordeaux, to Hendaye and Toulouse.

The Intercity train service will also be heavily impacted, with only two return trips between Toulouse and Marseille on the Bordeaux-Marseille line, two return trips between Toulouse and Bayonne and no trains between Nantes and Bordeaux.

The Paris-Orléans-Limoges-Toulouse train and the night trains Paris-Rodez/Toulouse and Paris-Latour de Carol/Lourdes will run normally.

For the regional TER service, 30% of the usual number of trains will run.

However, ten of the region's thirty or so routes will not be cancelled.

These are:

• Poitiers/Angoulême
• Angoulême/Bordeaux
• Angoulême/Saintes/Royan
• Poitiers/La Rochelle
• La Rochelle/Saintes
• Bordeaux/Arcachon
• Bordeaux/Agen
• Niort/Saintes
• Bordeaux/Morcenx/Dax
• Agen/Perigueux

In addition, connections between TER and main lines will not be provided.

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