SNCF sued as late trains cost job

A YOUNG legal assistant who lost her job because of repeated lateness is suing SNCF for damages saying late trains were to blame.

Soazig Parassols, 25, was on probation at the legal office in Lyon but was told her persistent lateness "was disturbing the functioning of the office" and she was sacked.

She had to travel 50km by TER each day from her home in Ambérieu-en-Bugey, Ain, but she was always late, even if she took an earlier train, with delays of more than an one hour - longer than the journey. The legal firm said they were happy with her work, but not her punctuality, and offered to keep her on if she moved to Lyon; but she could not.

Her case dates to 2010 and goes before the court in Paris today where Ms Parassols is claiming €15,000 in damages from SNCF and €30,000 for financial loss. Her lawyer says SNCF did not fulfill its contract with its passenger and it had taken her a year to find another job.

The verdict will not be given for several weeks but other grieved passengers are watching the case with intent. SNCF was made to pay €800 damages last July after a seven-hour delay on the Paris-Lyon line cost a passenger a day's work.

Photo: franz massard - Fotolia.com