The presence of bedbugs and cockroaches in Ouigo TGVs has been denounced by several unions, but not only that. “A low-cost model that is running out of steam” is more generally deplored.
They are sounding the alarm. This Monday, January 6, several railway unions, including the CGT, SUD-Rail and Unsa, issued a press release that was worrying to say the least. In their sights, the situation of the TGV Ouigo, these low-cost trains which have been running on the rails since 2013. The unions very clearly denounce “the Ouigo ‘wrecks'” which suffer in particular from massive infestations of cockroaches and bedbugs, not to mention the toilets regularly blocked.
If the presence of insects and pests on board will not give good press to the TGV Ouigo, disgusting many SNCF passengers, the unions are primarily focusing on equipment failures, such as axles “in poor condition”. “, a “suspicious noise” heard here or there, or doors regularly subject to breakdowns. Problems largely linked to the “aging” of the fleet, as well as the “overuse” of the trains. “The climax of this situation was reached at the end of November with seven Ouigo trains simultaneously unavailable,” he is given as an example.
The inter-union announces an unlimited strike notice from January 9 and wishes to carry out mobilizations during targeted periods, starting with this weekend, from Friday January 10 to Sunday January 12, 2025. It demands: the withdrawal of the trains at the most quickly when reporting a hardware malfunction requiring the locking of access doors; the correct restoration of all Ouigo rolling stock with a change in the maintenance policy and an increase in Technicentre resources. But also the establishment of an exceptional bonus for all Ouigo rolling and sedentary agents as a result of the degraded working conditions of recent months or the creation of a joint Technicentre/ASCT/Traction commission with the union organizations for monthly monitoring of the state of the Ouigo rolling stock.
SNCF Voyageurs defends itself
While the unions’ accusations are serious and call into question even the safety of passengers on Ouigo trains, SNCF Voyageurs strongly defended itself with BFMTV this Monday. “The safety of travelers and agents is an absolute priority at Ouigo as for all SNCF Voyageurs trains. No risk has ever been or is taken in this matter,” she insisted, assuring that “ Ouigo trains benefit from a major renewal [le plus important depuis son lancement]which begins to be deployed at the start of the year, with a fleet that is both larger and more modern.