3 out of 5 TGVs should run on the East axis, 3 out of 4 trains on the North and Atlantic axes, and 4 out of 5 trains on the South-East axis, indicated SNCF Voyageurs, while the rail is preparing to live a record summer after two years marked by the Covid pandemic.

2 Ouigo out of 3 should be maintained, while international traffic (Eurostar, Thalys, Lyria) should be «almost normal».

The four representative unions of the SNCF – CGT, Unsa, SUD-Rail and CFDT – have called for a strike to demand wage increases in the face of soaring inflation. The strike notice was only for Wednesday.

All customers whose journeys have been canceled have normally been notified by SMS, SNCF Voyageurs said on Tuesday. The carrier offered train changes, but also encouraged users to stay in telework or postpone their trip.

Local traffic in Ile-de-France should also be very disrupted, with one in two trains on lines B, C, D, E of the RER, and on lines J, L, N, R, U of the Transilien.

– Table ronde – 

Many Intercités should be removed, with one train in three on average, and no traffic on the Nantes-Bordeaux, Nantes-Lyon or Toulouse-Hendaye lines. Night trains are cancelled, with the exception of Paris-Nice.

These holiday departures have already been disrupted since the end of June by strikes by employees and subcontractors of Aéroport de Paris, firefighters from Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle, easyJet and Ryanair, in particular, causing the cancellation of several hundred flights.

The CEO of the SNCF Jean-Pierre Farandou had estimated at the end of June that the departures on vacation were «not threatened» despite this call for a strike, ensuring that the wages of the railway workers would be increased.

«We put the subjects on the table, we try to build a balance, because increasing wages is one thing, but there is also an economic issue: it costs and we have to pay attention to the impact on the price of tickets for example”, added Mr. Farandou on Public Senate. «At the end of the year, the company must remain balanced so as not to cost the country».

According to the unions, salaries at the SNCF have not been revalued since 2014. «Between the opening to competition and eight years of salary freeze, everyone wonders what sauce it will be eaten», had underlined end of June Fabien Dumas, federal secretary SUD-Rail.

SNCF management has planned a round table with the social partners on Wednesday.