The holiday departures of 800,000 travellers have been disrupted following a massive attack which paralyzes the SNCF network.
Around 800,000 passengers will be affected by train delays following a “massive attack” on the TGV network on Friday, July 26. A few hours before the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games and as the French were preparing to return to their vacation spot, this malicious act is such that the railway company has asked passengers to “postpone their trip and not go to the station”. Traffic has been interrupted in both directions between Paris and the west of France. According to the SNCF, “deliberate fires were started” during the night “to damage [ses] facilities” and these disruptions are expected to last all weekend. “The affected travelers will be contacted by email or SMS” and will be able to obtain an exchange or refund of their ticket free of charge.
Generally speaking, what should you do to find another train and request a refund? In the event of a delay to a TGV Inoui, TGV International or Intercités train, you should know that you can benefit from an online voucher for another journey, as long as your train is more than 30 minutes late. Then, the amount of compensation depends on the length of the train delay:
Thus, between 30 minutes and two hours, a traveler can claim 25% of the amount of the train ticket. He will be reimbursed half if the train arrives with a delay of between 2 and 3 hours. The amount of compensation will then be 75% in the event of a delay of more than three hours.
How will you be reimbursed? “If your train is delayed by between 30 minutes and 1 hour, you will receive a voucher. If your train is delayed by more than 1 hour and more than 3 hours, you will receive a voucher or a bank transfer, depending on your choice,” explains SNCF. To request a refund, go to the SNCF-connect website with your file reference and your SNCV Connect credentials.