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Local France
13-06-2025
- Business
- Local France
'Rail golden age' - More and more people take French trains (despite strike threats)
If you were to pay even the slightest attention to the news in France you'd probably reach the fairly rapid conclusion that SNCF and strikes go together like love and marriage. Or, for the more cynical out there, a horse and carriage. Earlier this month, French union Sud-Rail announced it had filed a summer-long strike notice beginning on Thursday, June 12th, at 7pm, which will last until Monday, September 1st, at 8am, allowing them to walk out with minimal notice at any time over that period. This latest threat followed strikes in May and December . And it's not like the last 12 months are an anomaly - France has in fact seen at least one rail strike every year since 1947 (and probably longer, but records only go back that far). Advertisement You might imagine, then, given all the inevitable disruption caused by repeated walkouts, that rail operator SNCF would find it difficult to attract customers to use its services. But you would be wrong. In February, SNCF confirmed it had carried nearly 130 million passengers in 2024, breaking a record of 122 million set the previous year. In fact, passenger numbers in 2024 were up four percent year on year, and were 11 percent higher than 2019 – a pre-pandemic year used as a reference for this decade to judge the current success of rail services. The group also reported a net profit of €1.6 billion last year – the fourth consecutive year it has ended up with a positive balance sheet. In 2022, it recorded record annual profits of €2.2billion. 'We are truly in the golden age of the train. We are building a virtuous circle for rail travel,' said SNCF Voyageurs' CEO Christophe Fanichet told journalists. 'This is a sustainable trend,' he said. Full trains One in three TGV trains runs full - according to Fanichet - while the low-cost Ouigo TGV services were full 60 percent of the time. French trains must be booked in advance, and on the high-speed TGV and Intercité services a booking automatically generates a seat reservation. The plus side of this is that you can be sure of a seat and won't be forced to spend the journey standing in the corridor outside the toilets, the down-side is that when trains are full they stop ticket sales - meaning that last-minute travel is often not possible. On the local TER services and suburban routes such as the greater Paris Transilien seat reservations are not taken, meaning that you might end up standing (but you can make a last-minute journey). Advertisement Overall SNCF reported that – with 364 trains available – it struggled to meet demand for TGV services in 2024. READ ALSO MAP: Where high-speed trains can take you in France It has ordered 115 new generation TGV M trains to augment its current fleet, but the first of those will not enter service until 2026. Integrating more Ouigo services, however, partly offset the problem, SNCF has said. 'Last year, for the summer, we added half a million seats, and we will continue to increase performance – that is, make trains run more,' Fanichet said. Last year, 38 Ouigo trains were operational - this number will rise to 50 by 2027. Ouigo trains run on the same routes as the TGV Inoui trains but are cheaper and offer a slightly more basic experience (no buffet car or onboard wifi, limitations on luggage). High speed versus low speed And it's not just the high-speed TGV services that are holding up the numbers. Local TER services across the country saw a 10 percent increase in passengers in 2024, Transilien travellers in the Ile-de-France region rose eight percent, and seven percent more people took an Intercité service last year than in 2023. Advertisement Night trains are part of the Intercité network, and these broke the one-million passenger barrier for the first time in 2024, as SNCF adds more routes and works on adding extra international links. France's local train TER network, which makes up around nine tenths of the total rail lines, is often described as the 'cinderella' service compared to the TGVs - underfunded, scarce, creaky, less reliable and more likely to see trains cancelled during a strike. However despite their problems TER services have seen a rapid increase in passenger numbers. In 2023, TER services welcomed 21 percent more passengers than in 2022, while it was reported that travellers on local rail services in Occitanie alone had jumped 40 percent in four years. Advertisement That's not to say that everything is perfect, there are still numerous rail issues in France. Regional president for Occitanie Carole Delga this week revealed plans to keep trains running on threatened lines in the region, for example, while one département is eagerly awaiting its first passenger service in more than 50 years. READ ALSO Could France's 'forgotten département' see the return of train services? But, if the numbers are anything to go by – can nearly 130 million people be wrong? – there's little sign of that the current popularity of rail travel is going to fade away soon. And the threat of strikes certainly don't seem to be putting off passengers.
Local Spain
02-06-2025
- Business
- Local Spain
Ouigo calls train strike in Spain in June: What you need to know
Partial Ouigo rail strikes are due to take place on June 12th, 13th, 23rd and 27th, while a full strike day will be held on June 26th. This will result in the cancellation of up to 40 journeys and could affect up to 22,000 passengers. The protests are being called over the dismissal of a train driver and the alleged breach of the collective agreement, which was signed just over a year ago. The union estimates that it will affect some 22,000 commuters and explains that company's "inflexible stance" regarding the reinstatement of the driver, "fired without any justifiable cause," is forcing Semaf to take action and call a walkout. Semaf has stated that company's nearly 100 drivers are scheduled to take five days of full- and part-time work stoppages. The 40 journeys will affect 15 different Spanish cities including Madrid, Barcelona, Tarragona, Valencia, Alicante, Elche, Zaragoza, Seville, Málaga, Córdoba, Valladolid, Segovia, Albacete, Cuenca, and Murcia. The strike times are as follows: June 12th and 13th - from 6:30am to 1:00pm and from 4:00pm to 7:00pm June 23rd - from 6:45am to 1:25pm and from 3:30pm to 6:30pm June 26th - All day June 27th - from 6:30am to 1:15pm and from 3:45pm to 7:00pm Semaf explained that the dismissal occurred "without just cause" and warns that Ouigo's conduct violates labour rights and opens the door to similar decisions against other employees. These accusations are compounded by alleged pressure on drivers to maintain operations, which, according to the union, could conflict with safety regulations and agreed working conditions. Ouigo responded to the strike call by saying "Ouigo states that the difficult decision to separate itself from the employee in question is motivated by the repetition of actions that justify it. After having implemented a training and support plan by experienced drivers, the results have continued to be dissatisfactory for a position of such responsibility. The company offered the employee a position unrelated to driving, which was ultimately rejected'. The company confirmed, however, that negotiations "remain open' and they hope to come to some type of agreement before the stoppages take place. "We reiterate our commitment to fulfilling the signed agreement and express our full willingness and efforts to listen to any proposals for improvements in its implementation, as well as to maintain fluid and beneficial working relationships between all parties', they stated. They also confirmed their commitment to safety, compliance with the collective bargaining agreement and disciplinary regulations. If the strike goes ahead the company could become the first private rail operator in Spain to do so. Ouigo is a low-cost, high-speed train service run by SNCF in France. Ouigo España first launched in 2021.
Local France
05-05-2025
- Local France
French rail bosses say trains 'will circulate' during May strike week
Rail unions representing train drivers, conductors and technicians have issued overlapping strike notices for the period from Monday, May 5th to Sunday, May 11th - targeting the holiday weekend around VE Day. They are aiming for maximum disruption and a 'black week' on the railways as negotiations over pay and working conditions have broken down. Latest: What to expect from this week's French rail strikes However SNCF boss Christophe Fanichet said: "We are far from a black week", adding that the high-speed TGV services should run as normal. Detailed strike timetables are produced 48 hours in advance, but SNCF says that the high-speed TGV InOui and Ouigo services will run as normal from Monday to Thursday. It is expected that they will also be normal on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, but more details will be available nearer the time. Fanichet added: "Even though staff can declare themselves on strike just 48 hours in advance, we have the experience to build transport plans taking into account the current level of strike support and projections for the days ahead.' The disruption will be concentrated on local TER services and the Paris region's RER and Transilien trains. Advertisement The regions of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Centre-Val de Loire, Hauts-de-France, Normandie, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Occitanie and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur have all reported some level of disruption on local TER trains. In most cases this involves a reduced service, for example half or one third of the normal level of service. The most heavily impacted is the greater Paris region of Île-de-France where 'severe' disruption is expected on Monday on the RER and Transilien services - including RER B which links Paris to its two airports. The Paris Metro, bus and tram services will be unaffected, as their staff are not involved in the dispute.
Local Spain
09-04-2025
- Business
- Local Spain
Spain to launch direct Barcelona-Seville rail service with no train swap
Spain's public rail operator Renfe has launched a new direct high speed AVE train service between Barcelona and Seville without having to change trains or stop in Madrid. The new service will begin on April 23rd 2025 and means that travellers will no longer have to change trains at Madrid's Atocha station if they want to travel between the two cities. This will mean a quicker and easier journey overall. Trains will depart daily from Seville-Santa Justa at 6am and arrive in Barcelona-Sants at 12:41pm, and then continue on to Figueres near the French border, ending its journey at 1:44 pm. Other stops en route will include Córdoba, Puertollano, Ciudad Real, Zaragoza, Lérida, Tarragona and Girona. In the opposite direction, it will depart daily, except on Saturdays, at 4:58pm from Barcelona-Sants and arrive at 10:49pm in Seville, with stops in Zaragoza, Madrid, and Córdoba. The quickest journey will take a total of five hours and 48 minutes. Ticket prices for the direct option start from around €100 each way. This new service will run alongside six daily services with changes between Sevilla and Barcelona which will continue to be operational. These services take between six and seven hours and offer a wide range of prices and travel times. Renfe will also continue to offer connections through a single integrated ticket. This allows passengers to combine routes without needing to buy multiple tickets. Other operators that run services between Seville and Barcelona include low-cost operator Iryo which takes just under six hours. Ouigo does not offer the same route, but you can buy separate tickets from Barcelona to Madrid and then another ticket from Madrid to Sevilla and vice versa.
Local France
07-03-2025
- Local France
French rail tickets to go on sale for peak summer holiday period
Tickets for France's high-speed TGV InOui and Intercités trains will go on sale on Wednesday, March 12th for travel during the peak summer holiday period (between July 5th and August 31st), SNCF announced on its website. Which tickets are going on sale? Budget-friendly tickets with France's Ouigo services will be available for the period of July 5 to December 13th, as well as those for the TGV InOui Sud-Est trains. As for trips on the TGV Lyria and Inoui journeys (to Spain or Italy), you will be able to book trips between July 5th and December 13th. For travel to Luxembourg, Fribourg or Brussels, you will be able to buy tickets up to August 31st. Meanwhile, for Deutsche Bahn Aktiengesellschaft customers, reservations are possible six months in advance. The benefits of buying tickets quickly... According to a study conducted by the ticket sales platform Trainline and reported by Le Parisien, TGV users are better off buying their tickets in the week that sales open to get the best prices, so mark your calendars. The most popular services – between Paris-Nice, Paris-Cannes, or Paris-Marseille – are known to sell out very quickly. You can also set up an alert to find out if tickets to your preferred destination have gone on sale via SNCF-Connect.
