Normandy cuts SNCF funding

Regional authority suspends payments in protest at poor railway services.

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THE REGIONAL council of Basse-Normandie has stopped payments to the SNCF in protests at poor rail services.

Council president Laurent Beauvais said that there had been too many problems in previous months and that these had been occurring again in the last few days.

He criticised the local TER service for late trains, cancellations and a lack of drivers but also problems with heating and air-conditioning.

The region pays €50million a year to the SNCF to provide its local rail service.

A spokesman said monthly payments would be suspended until the service improved.

In December drivers in Haute-Normandie went on strike in protest at a new timetable, along with drivers in Paris, Ile-de-France, Lille and in the south east.

Drivers in the PACA region have been on strike for more than one month over the issue, claiming that the SNCF has not employed enough new drivers to carry out the new services.

Photo:Sebastian Terfloth

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