What to expect from this week’s train strike in France

Travellers planning to take the train in France between May 5 and 11 may face disruption due to a series of rolling strike calls by railway unions, though SNCF says it expects most trains to run - even during the busy May 8 bank holiday.

When will the rail strike happen?

Although strike calls have been issued for the full week of May 5–11, different unions and categories of workers are being urged to walk out on different days:

• May 5–8: General strike call from CGT-Cheminots, mainly affecting maintenance workers and conductors.

• May 6: Strike call specifically targeting maintenance staff.

• May 7: Drivers are expected to strike, on the eve of the May 8 public holiday.

• May 9–11: SUD-Rail and the independent Collectif national ASCT (CNA) have called controllers to strike. SUD-rail is a national union - the acronym sud stands for Solidaire, Unitaire et Démocratique

The May 8 bank holiday and the long weekend that follows are traditionally busy travel days in France, giving this strike significant potential for disruption.

Read more: Strikes in France in May 2025 and how you may be impacted

How serious will the disruption be?

Union representatives warn of a “black week”, particularly from Wednesday to Saturday. SUD-Rail’s Julien Troccaz said strong disruption was “very likely,” especially around the May 8 to 11 period.

However, in a bid to reassure travellers, SNCF Voyageurs CEO Christophe Fanichet told AFP: “It will by no means be a black week. There will not be a week of paralysis, but a week as normal as possible.” 

He said traffic on TGVs will be normal from May 5 to 8, and that “most trains will run” even on the strike days of May 9, 10 and 11.

If cancellations are necessary, SNCF aims “to ensure every client can still travel on their intended day,” Mr Fanichet said. 

He also promised all customers will be informed of their train status before the start of the long weekend on Wednesday.

Nonetheless, localised disruption is likely, especially on regional lines and in the Paris area, where RER and Transilien services could be affected. 

The RATP (metro, trams and buses) is not involved in this specific strike.

The SNCF urges passengers to check their train status the day before departure, from 17:00 onwards. Notifications will also be sent by text or email to ticket holders whose train is cancelled.

To check your train’s status, visit the SNCF Connect website with your train number and travel date.

Ticket refunds and changes

To ease uncertainty, SNCF has made all TGV Inoui and Ouigo tickets refundable or exchangeable without fees for travel between May 5 and 11. 

This applies to domestic and international services (Italy, Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany via TGV Lyria and ICE), although refunds must be requested before the original train’s departure.

What is the strike about?

The strikes are being led by the CGT-Cheminots and SUD-Rail unions in protest at pay and work conditions, particularly the late notice given to staff about shift changes. 

While no agreement was reached during last-minute negotiations, SNCF Voyageurs insists it has done its part, highlighting a 2.2% average salary increase for 2025 and promising a €1,300 bonus in May as part of profit-sharing for 65,000 staff.

Boom in popularity for SNCF rivals

Despite the reassurances from the SNCF, passengers are reportedly turning en masse to rival services: 

Flixbus reports bookings are up over 30%, expecting over 85% of seats to be filled, especially on routes like Paris–Reims, Bordeaux–Toulouse, and Paris–Normandy.

Trenitalia and Blablacar (both buses and carpooling) are also reporting spikes in demand. 

Blablacar told BFM Business that it expects record bookings, with tripled sales on routes such as Paris–Marseille and Paris–Nice, and says it may add buses on key routes to meet demand.