Rail strike

[JabbaPapa]

Reports are that the Paris trains towards Bayonne/Spain will be basically unaffected in the strikes tomorrow and Saturday.

Non-TGV long-distance trains are more severely affected though.

The Paris metro seems like it'll be hit a little more, including the trains into Paris from the airports.

Bayonne up to SJPP is by bus, but this is because of work on the train line, not the strike action.

No strike days have been announced for the time being after Saturday 7th July.

 

[JabbaPapa]

19th July is a strike day.

 

[JabbaPapa]

19th July is a strike day.

Tomorrow's strike is organised by a single trade union instead of the previous multi-union effort -- as such, it is very significantly smaller in scope.

BUT the worst affected lines, as far as the concerns of pilgrims might go, are those in the quarter of France between Paris and the Basque Country, including SJPP, Bayonne, Lourdes, Arles, Tours, and many other starting locations, possibly Le Puy, but probably not Vézelay.

The strikes do seem at least temporarily to have lost steam, though who knows what might happen after the summer.

 

[JabbaPapa]

There is another strike day on 27th July, likely to be equally low key, with only some local trains being affected, but not the long-distance lines.

Again, it will be the lines in West France that will be hit a little bit harder, but this would basically mean just some minor inconvenience perhaps for some people arriving in Bordeaux on that date and perhaps needing to wait a little longer for a train to Bayonne or wherever.

The Bayonne to Saint-Jean Pied-de-Port line is closed again anyway for damage to the track, as it was apparently badly and cheaply repaired by a local private contractor. That line has been a particular focus for strike action because of this, so that even if the rail service were to reopen, people should expect the replacement bus service on strike days.

That particular line is under a threat of closure from the rail reform that the rail workers started the strike about in the first place.

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There may be a few strike dates in August, but some of the ones they were planning have apparently been cancelled, so it might just be 2 or 3 dates.

 

[JabbaPapa]

Not the strike, but an electrical fire has occurred, heavily disrupting the trains out from Montparnasse (and so the whole Paris-Biarritz line).

People are advised to head to Paris-Austerlitz as the TGVs normally out from Montparnasse will be leaving from there instead.

No strike dates have yet been announced for August.

 

[JabbaPapa]

The strikes are limping on, but they shouldn't affect pilgrims too badly, except for occasionally some of those going to Le Puy.

There's some minor strike action today, tomorrow, and on Monday.

Unlikely to affect TGVs to Bayonne or the train up to SJPP.

One major strike day has been announced for the 9th October, likely to be a bad one as it is a General Strike not just SNCF.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Thanks for continued strike updates, Jabba. You were helpful to me when I made my arrangements to walk the Le Puy route last June, and now you are making pilgrims heading to France soon aware of possible glitches.

 

[JulieandPeter]

The strikes are limping on, but they shouldn't affect pilgrims too badly, except for occasionally some of those going to Le Puy.

There's some minor strike action today, tomorrow, and on Monday.

Unlikely to affect TGVs to Bayonne or the train up to SJPP.

One major strike day has been announced for the 9th October, likely to be a bad one as it is a General Strike not just SNCF.

Thank you for posting this. We are currently walking the Via Podiensis (did not have any rail troubles from Lyon to Le Puy). We were planning to take the train from France to Italy on October 9 for our son’s wedding on the 13th. We will make different arrangements now. Thanks again.