Have you booked tickets for a train journey, but strikes are on the horizon? Here’s how to keep you informed of the state of SNCF traffic and the possible cancellation of your train with an app and an online service.
Government reforms, bills, wage freezes, insecurity, staff cuts… Rail transport services on main lines but also on regional and urban lines are fairly regularly plagued by conflicts between employees and their management or the Government. . The next meeting is also set for this Thursday, January 19, 2023 for “a strong and massive mobilization” at the SNCF, at the call of the unions in order to show their opposition to the pension reform project presented on January 10. by Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne. The notice filed specifies that the strike will start on Wednesday January 18 at 7:00 p.m. and end on Friday January 20 at 8:00 a.m. Even if, for the moment, the unions are not calling for an indefinite strike as was the case in December 2019, other mobilizations are still to be expected. And an appointment has already been made on January 23 to consider the next possible mobilizations.
Main consequence: the famous “social movements” which impact traffic and disrupt the daily lives of thousands of users. In France, the right to strike is enshrined in the Constitution. For the Public Service, the strike must be preceded by five days’ notice. Since 2007, a minimum service for the movement of trains, metros and buses can be established but is not compulsory. In general, the SNCF displays the trains concerned by the strikes, at the latest, at 5:00 p.m. the day before the social movement. Small exception for RATP (and Île de France Mobilité) which has signed an agreement obliging it to maintain at least 50% of traffic during peak hours on the entire network.
It prevents. Disruptions due to strikes remain a real headache for users who have to use SNCF lines, whether for holidays or in particular to go to work. Fortunately, there are easy ways to get real-time information on traffic conditions and train running forecasts. Something to anticipate your travels and find possible fallback solutions.
You have to travel on a main line and you want to know if your train is maintained during a strike day? If during your reservation you provided a mobile phone number, the SNCF can notify you by SMS of the cancellation of your train. However, the system is not always reliable and during the strike movement last December, many travelers were not informed. To get to the bottom of it, the SNCF Connect website and app for iOS and Android allow you to take stock. Since last year, SNCF has set up SNCF Connect. This is a platform not only dedicated to booking tickets but also allows you to manage complaints and refunds and also offers a lot of information concerning in particular delays and cancellations of trains.
From a web browser
► Go to the page SNCF Connect dedicated to traffic disruptions. Three tabs appear at the top of the page allowing you to know the state of traffic in Île-de-France, in the regions and on the main line trains.
From the SNCF Connect app on Android or iOS
► The SNCF Connect app on mobiles has a wide range of functions to help you get around by suggesting itineraries. It also allows you to know the state of rail traffic and forecasts. Note that it is not necessary to create an account to use the app (unless you want to make ticket reservations). Small bonus: after having saved a route, the app can warn you in the event of disruptions whether it is a TGV, an intercity train or a TER. To find out about current disruptions, open the app on your mobile. If you just installed it, allow the app to send you notifications.
► In the main menu, tap Traffic and network info.
► Just like on the website, three tabs allow you to select traffic in Île-de-France, regions or main lines. Too bad, however, that no calendar is available to choose a particular date.
► To be alerted by a notification of a traffic problem on a particular route, return to the main menu and indicate the destination station in the search field.
► Then indicate the departure station and then the date of the journey. Scroll down the page and tap See routes only.
► Choose your train from the list.
► In the new page that appears, tap the star top right.
► A dialog box appears telling you that the route has been saved. Press on Be warned.
► All that remains is to activate the switch Enable notifications and press To validate at the bottom of the page. You will be notified in case of delay or cancellation of the train.
How to know if a main line train is maintained?
SNCF Connect centralizes a lot of information relating to rail traffic. But the SNCF also has another website to know precisely whether the train you need to take is maintained or not.
► Go to the SNCF traffic information site. Above the input fields in the center of the page, click Train number. Enter the train number indicated on your ticket in the first field. Then enter the date of the trip and click on Search.
► Multiple trains matching your number can match. Choose the one that interests you by clicking on Select this train.
► If the route is displayed, your train is a priori maintained.
