Should I worry my French train will be cancelled during a heatwave?

Local France

a day ago

While it remains uncommon for French rail services to cancel large swathes of scheduled train journeys due to high temperatures, heatwave-related cancellations and delays are becoming more common, especially on lines with older trains.
Over the weekend, French national rail services (SNCF) cancelled more than 20 journeys along the Bordeaux-Marseille, Paris-Limoges-Toulouse, and Paris-Clermont-Ferrand routes, as the rail service tried to anticipate "potential air conditioning failures",
Le Parisien
reported.
During France's June heatwave, trains from Bordeaux to Marseille were cancelled as well.
As heatwaves (
canicules
) become more common - and more intense - it is important for passengers to anticipate potential disruption (and to pack water bottles).
READ MORE:
Eat balanced meals and shut the shutters - French government advice for staying cool in a heatwave
Why would trains be cancelled or delayed during a heatwave?
Aside from concerns related to air conditioning, the most common reason has to do with the steel rails.
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When air temperature exceeds 37C, rails can become hotter than 55C (sometimes even 70C in direct sunlight).
As a material, steel can be sensitive to temperature fluctuation, and extreme heat can lead the tracks to deform, which in turn can cause significant damage and possibly lead to derailments.
Hot temperatures can also make it so power cables hang lower, and this creates a risk of the cables touching the roofs of carriages.
And finally, heatwaves can force trains to run slower, in order to avoid engines overheating.
Which trains are most likely to be cancelled?
SNCF told
BFMTV
that cancellations due to anticipated air conditioning issues are more common on older trains.
For example, the rail service told Le Parisien that the older 'Corail carriages', used in Intercités (regional) trains, "do not provide the same reliability as new trains under certain weather conditions."
Luckily, these trains are going to be gradually replaced by newer 'Oxygène' models from early 2027 on the Paris-Clermont-Ferrand and Paris-Orléans-Toulouse lines, and later onto the Bordeaux-Marseille line in 2028 and 2029, according to
Le Figaro
.
What if my train is cancelled?
Before going to the train station during a heatwave, first check the status of your train using the SNCF website or app.
If your train has been cancelled, then SNCF ought to inform you of the change and offer a free refund or exchange.
As for the general rules for delayed or cancelled trains, you likely qualify for a full or partial refund.
On high-speed domestic TGV InOui trains and regional Intercités services, you cannot get any refund for a delay of less than 30 minutes.
However, you can get 25 percent of your ticket back for 30 minutes and two hours of delays; 50 percent of your ticket back for a delay of two to three hours; and 75 percent back for a delay of more than three hours.
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For budget OuiGo services, you do not qualify for compensation if the delay is under an hour. You can get 25 percent back for a delay of an hour to two hours, and you can get half of your ticket back for a delay of more than two hours.
If your train runs as planned but the air conditioning is broken, making it unbearably hot, then unfortunately you do not qualify for a refund, although train staff will usually distribute water to any passengers who need it.
You can find instructions on the
SNCF website.
READ MORE:
Revealed: France's five worst rail lines for delays and cancellations
Will other things be cancelled?
If Météo France has declared an area on heatwave alert, than certain services or events may be cancelled.
A red alert gives local authorities the power to cancel large public events such as festivals, if they think the heat poses a danger to attendees. Likewise, organisers may cancel if they believe they cannot keep visitors safe.
A new law that came into effect on July 1st 2025 requires employers to take more precautions to ensure that their employees are safe in the heat, which could include altering working hours (and therefore opening hours of a public site).
As awareness of heat-related risks grows, you may also see that some businesses declare that that will close if the temperature reaches a certain level (eg 35C or above) or if a red heatwave alert is declared.
Paris public transport runs even if the temperature reaches Hades level, but lines can be disrupted or services suspended if a passenger collapses and requires medical attention - which is why you will hear lots of announcements encouraging you to stay hydrated on the hottest days.