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Normandy rail strike: five lines disrupted this Friday and Saturday
Ticket inspectors walk out after a knife attack on a colleague, with four unions backing the action
Rail passengers in Normandy face disruption today (Friday October 9) and tomorrow (Saturday October 10), as ticket inspectors strike over safety on the region’s trains.
The walkout follows an incident on Friday October 2, when a 13-year-old boy reportedly tried to stab an inspector several times on a Paris-Rouen service. The teenager was arrested.
Which lines are affected?
Regional operator Nomad says most services will run as normal. However, five routes will be disrupted.
Three are Nomad Résa lines, where seats must be booked in advance:
Paris – Rouen – Le Havre
Paris – Caen – Cherbourg
Paris – Lisieux – Trouville/Deauville
Two are standard Nomad lines:
Paris – Vernon – Rouen
Paris – Évreux – Serquigny
Nomad advises passengers to check the status of their train from 5pm the evening before travelling, either on the SNCF Info Trafic app or through Nomad’s social media channels.
Third attack in six months
Four unions are supporting the action: CGT-Cheminots, Sud Rail, UNSA and CFDT-Cheminots. Bastien Sellier, Rouen secretary-general of the CGT-Cheminots, said staff had been asking for more resources for years without result, and that the stabbing was the final straw. Inspectors, he added, “are not there to be stabbed on the company’s behalf”.
His union colleague Mathieu Vilela said it was the third attack on an inspector in six months.
The unions’ main demands are:
Two inspectors on every train (and on each unit of a multiple-unit train), for the protection of both staff and passengers
Security checks on the last evening trains leaving Normandy and Paris, carried out by the SNCF’s own railway security officers
Mr Vilela said several Normandy trains still run with no inspector on board, which he called unacceptable, particularly given how important they can be in an emergency.
A tense backdrop
The dispute comes at a difficult time for the region’s railways. Staff have been unsettled since the derailment at Cléon in September on the Rouen-Caen line, and an earlier discovery of a broken rail joint on the Caen-Rennes line. A number of drivers invoked their right to stop work on safety grounds.
A conciliation meeting with SNCF management failed to settle matters. The CGT said the company’s proposals fell short, and the unions decided to go ahead with the strike.
No date has been announced for further action, but passengers are advised to keep checking for updates.
Your rights: tickets, refunds and delays
Act before your train leaves. To exchange or cancel a ticket free of charge, you must make the request before your train’s scheduled departure.
Nomad Résa (booked-seat) trains between Normandy and Paris
To keep your journey: change your ticket free of charge, through the same channel you bought it (station machine or counter, the SNCF Connect app or website, or an approved travel agent). Changing is strongly recommended because it guarantees you a seat.
If you could not change it: you may board another booked-seat train on the same route with your original ticket, subject to seat availability and the onboard agent’s approval. This applies on the day of travel or, if your ticket was for the last train of the day, the next day.
To cancel the trip: you can get a free refund, again before departure and through your original purchase channel.
Standard Nomad trains (no reservation)
To keep your journey: a ticket valid on the day of the disruption can be used on any other unreserved Nomad train that day, or the next day if you were due to take the last train.
To cancel the trip: online purchases can be refunded free of charge online up to the day before travel, and counter purchases at the counter before departure.
If you could not cancel in time: make a claim from the day after your journey using SNCF’s online form, attaching your tickets and bank details (RIB). Passengers with an onward connection on TGV, Intercités or Ouigo services should contact the relevant operator.
If you were delayed by more than 30 minutes on a Nomad Résa train: you can claim compensation from the day after your journey under the operator’s Garantie Voyageurs scheme.
Getting help: Nomad’s X account (@train_nomad) answers traffic queries every day from 6am to 10pm. The free helpline, 0 800 801 801, is open Monday to Saturday from 6am to 9pm, and on Sundays and public holidays from 8am to 8pm.
You can see more details on the SNCF website (in French).
