France's SNCF warns of major rail strike disruption on April 4
By AFP | Published: 03rd April 2018 11:22 PM |
Last Updated: 03rd April 2018 11:22 PM | A+A A- |
Passengers are sharing cars or canceling trips after national railway SNCF said the strike will halt some 85 percent of French high-speed trains and 75 percent of regional trains. (Photo | AP)
PARIS: French rail operator SNCF warned that travellers could expect a second day of major disruption to services on Wednesday as workers pursue their three-month rolling strike over the government's reform plan for the company.
Just one high-speed TGV train out of seven will be running on average, and just one in five regional trains, the SNCF said, roughly on par with the cancellations seen on Tuesday.
For international services, traffic to Belgium on Thalys trains will be running almost as normal, while three out of four Eurostar journeys to London will be maintained and one in three to Germany will go ahead.
All trains to Switzerland and Italy have been cancelled.
In the Paris region, the main commuter RER trains will also be badly affected, with only one in three services scheduled on the popular B line, one in five on the C line and one in two on the A line.
French railway workers have announced strikes for two out of every five days until the end of June, mounting the biggest challenge yet to President Emmanuel Macron who has vowed to reform the debt-laden SNCF.
