News

French rail strike hits Eurostar services

Rail travel across France is expected to be paralysed on Tuesday due to a strike by workers at state railway SNCF.

Staff began three months of rolling stoppages on Monday night as trade unions protest against president Emmanuel Macron’s labour reforms.

It is expected to be the biggest wave of industrial unrest since Macron’s election last May.

A senior SNCF manager, Alain Krakovitch, told Le Parisien newspaper that only 12% of high speed TGV trains would operate today, and the low-cost Ouigo service would be at a standstill.

Only one in five regional trains would be running, AFP reported.

But international services will only be marginally affected, Krakovitch said, with about 75% of Eurostar trains running and about 90% of Thalys services to Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.

Eurostar trains to Disneyland Paris have been re-routed to Paris today and tomorrow instead of Marne-la-Vallee for access to the theme park.

Five London to Paris and two London to Brussels services have been cancelled on each day.

The railway unions plan to strike two days out of every five until the end of June.

Employees of Air France, who are demanding a 6% pay rise, have already begun industrial action. However most flights are not being affected.

The waste collection, electricity and energy sectors also expect strikes, the BBC reported.

Share article

View Comments

Jacobs Media is honoured to be the recipient of the 2020 Queen's Award for Enterprise.

The highest official awards for UK businesses since being established by royal warrant in 1965. Read more.