Due to a drop in reservations and a lack of staff due to the health crisis, 10% of TGVs and 20% of intercity will be affected from next week.
SNCF will cut 10% of its TGV and 20% of Intercités from next week, announced a spokesperson on Friday, explaining this measure by a drop in reservations due to the health crisis.
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“Taking into account a observed drop in reservations of 30% since the beginning of the year – in particular during the week – the TGV transport plan will be adapted from next week and provided up to 90% of the planned offer, and at 80% for the Intercités “, told AFP a spokesperson for SNCF Voyageurs. All night trains will be operated, while “The adaptation of the offer will be stronger” for international TGVs, in particular for the Eurostar cross-Channel service “Which will circulate at less than 10% of the planned supply”. Travelers whose trains are canceled will be contacted and will be able to change their ticket or be reimbursed, he assured.
Lack of staff
SNCF, whose travelers had largely returned during the Christmas holidays, has already downsized several times since the start of the health crisis. “It is not a question of unexpected train cancellations but of adapted transport plans, which can take into account the reduced number of travelers (…) but also the objective of ensuring the most reliable transport plan for travelers, taking into account the effects of reduced availability of SNCF staff affected by the Covid ”, explained the spokesperson on Friday. “Like any employer, we are indeed confronted at the scale of the SNCF group (SNCF Voyageurs, SNCF Réseau, SNCF Gares & Connexions) with the effects of this 5th Covid wave, but neither more nor less than the rest of society”, he clarified.
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At the regional level, the TERs have been affected for several weeks by “Local adaptations” transportation plans. “On average, more than 90% of TERs continue to circulate nationally at present”, according to the spokesperson. As for suburban trains in the Paris region, “The Transilien transport plan will be almost normal in the coming days and could be slightly adapted next week depending on the lines depending on the health situation and the availability of SNCF agents”, he warned.