France - railways, public transport, services and incidents (merged posts)

[whole diary]

[stuving]

What goes down ... a couple of weeks ago SNCF^▸ (Societe Nationale des Chemins de fer Francais - French National Railways) announced extra trains for the summer, in response to high booking levels. A figure of 500,000 seats more than in 2019 was quoted. Then last week there was a report that said a lack of maintenance staff might prevent all of those actually running. But the main news in that report was ... so predictable I'll give you just one guess as to what it was.

[stuving]

SNCF^▸ (Societe Nationale des Chemins de fer Francais - French National Railways) have announced a new fare régime for animals, widely reported as allowing any animal of any size to travel for €7 (if accompanied, of course). In fact it's not such a big change as that.

There were, and still are, two categories: little ones (6 kg max) in cages, and dogs on leads and muzzled who must sit tidily at the paying passenger's feet. The first used to cost €7, and still do. The change applies to dogs (any size, not in cages), which are now also €7 flat fare. The fare used to be half the standard "kilométrique" rate, and that could be a lot more than the discounted fare for the accompanying human.

This applies to all SNCF's own services, and those TERs where they set fares, but not Normandy, Nouvelle Aquitaine, Pays de la Loire and Sud (they may be more or less generous). Obviously any dogs from the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) will need extra paperwork even to be in France in the first place.

[stuving]

This year SNCF^▸ (Societe Nationale des Chemins de fer Francais - French National Railways) say they are back to "normal", and even more busy than that. So, as it's chassé-croisé weekend, what's broken down? A Thalys, this time. From The Brussels Times:

Another Thalys train breakdown traps passengers overnight
Saturday, 30 July 2022 By Dylan Carter

Despite a 10% reduction in capacity following the breakdown of two Thalys trains in a week during the recent July heatwave, passengers have once again found themselves stuck on high-speed trains returning from France.

Following a collision with an animal on the tracks near Tournai, which caused a technical issue with the train’s engine, around 800 people were allowed to sleep overnight on nearby train carriages provided by Thalys.

During the evening, the stricken train was evacuated and the passengers were given the choice of walking to a hotel, paying for a taxi to Brussels, or staying in makeshift accommodation provided by the company.

According to Belgian broadcaster RTBF, travellers who opted to receive hotel vouchers were disappointed to find that the hotel had no more rooms available, and were forced to make their own way to the Gare du Midi in Brussels. The broken-down train is scheduled to depart again sometime this morning.

Passengers stuck in the train’s carriages were cut off from electricity and air conditioning due to damage to the train’s engine*. According to a spokesperson for the train operator, water was provided to the stranded travellers and the doors of the train were opened.

The breakdown has caused a whole chain of delays across the Thalys network, however the operator assures that passengers will be compensated for their time and any inconvenience caused.
Related News

Thalys is bracing for a summer of disruptions to its planned services. Following the breakdown of the two trains in July, which Thalys initially labelled a “coincidence”, the train operator will now conduct additional safety checks on some of its trains, leading to a series of cancellations.

“Due to operating incidents that occurred at the end of July, two trains had to undergo in-depth repairs and checks in our two maintenance workshops in Paris in Brussels,” Thalys explained on its website. “As a result, Thalys will not be able to use its entire fleet for the next few weeks.”

Customers are able to postpone their trip free of charge or receive a refund for the cancelled journeys up to one year after the original booking.

* meaning the power car failed, I presume

So, enormously disruptive animals there too. And then there's those two trains breaking down and losing cooling in a heatwave that makes that an instant emergency. And yes, there was a fire as well, perhaps inevitably this year. It closed the LGV^▸ (Large Goods Vehicle) Lyon-Marseille for a few hours, and is reported to have started from an aire de repos on the A7 near Valence.

[stuving]

And again today - the relatively unusual event of a person struck by a TGV^▸ (Train a Grande Vitesse) on a high-speed line (Paris-Bordeaux). Described as 1 km north of Gare de Vendome Villiers sur Loir, which is not the one in Vendôme (it's 4 km away). The train stopped 1 km past the station, with 2-3 hour delays once the line reopened. I guess the point about it being today is there are more trains and passengers than usual.

[stuving]

The only trial to come out of this accident, of the coach driver, starts this morning in Marseille. Views on on whether she did drive through the barrier or not are still divided as they always were, notwithstanding the BEA-TT report. Nothing new of any significance has emerged since. For some, the trial will finally decide, but no doubt some will never be convinced.

The trial itself is huge - 123 "civil parties" (or more), with a right to legal representation. It's the first trial to be shown by CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision) in another room (in Perpignan), following a change in the law. In some ways it's a surprise it's only scheduled to last three weeks.

SNCF^▸ (Societe Nationale des Chemins de fer Francais - French National Railways) are not directly involved, except as witnesses. Their request to be a "civil party" has not been accepted, but of course the court's decision could in effect find them at fault.

[broadgage]

What I find surprising is that neither the train, nor the bus, nor the crossing were equipped with CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision) and recording.

[stuving]

The court has - at last - just handed down its verdicts: Guilty for SNCF^▸ (Societe Nationale des Chemins de fer Francais - French National Railways) (SNCF Infra at the time) with a fine of €300,000, not guilty for the individual PW^▸ (Permanent Way) engineer at SNCF and for SNCF Réseau (the infrastructure manager, was RFF). The specific charge sounds odd outside France , but implies negligence in its duty to ensure safety, plus being a repeat offender (adds a third to the fine) - fair enough, in the sense that it's not the first time such an accident has happened. The fine recognises the much greater cost to SNCF of compensating the victims and families.

No word of any appeal, and I can't really see why SNCF would want to. And if that's it, it's less than ten years end to end - not slow at all, as these things go!

[stuving]

Here's a report of that in English from Euronews:

French rail operator SNCF^▸ (Societe Nationale des Chemins de fer Francais - French National Railways) fined over fatal 2013 train crash near Paris Access to the comments Comments
By AFP  with Euronews  •  Updated: 26/10/2022 - 13:29

France’s national rail operator has been convicted of manslaughter over a deadly train crash near Paris nine years ago.

SNCF was found criminally responsible for the accident, which killed seven people and injured more than 400 others.

The 3657 Intercity Paris-Limoges train derailed at Brétigny-sur-Orge station, south of the French capital, on 12 July 2013.

Investigators later found that a broken metal bar had caused the train to leave the tracks and hit the station platform.

On Wednesday, the court in Evry found SNCF guilty of involuntary injury and manslaughter and fined the French state company €300,000.

But former SNCF employee Laurent Waton and SNCF Réseau, a subsidiary company responsible for managing the railway line, were cleared by the court. Waton had carried out the last surveillance of the track eight days before the accident.

Victims’ associations had accused SNCF of failing to maintain the track, which led to "the decay of the suburban network".

The French company had acknowledged its “moral responsibility” for the derailment but claimed that the accident was caused by an undetectable defect in the steel.

But the court found that the metal bar had been damaged since 2008 and had been poorly maintained for five years.

"This negligence in monitoring the core is definitely linked to the derailment," the judge said on Wednesday.

The verdict can be appealed.

[stuving]

And for some people, their best friend is not a dog but a surf board ... or a double bass? From The Strad:

Fury as double bassists barred from French trains

Size restrictions on SNCF^▸ (Societe Nationale des Chemins de fer Francais - French National Railways) trains exclude double bassists from travelling with their instruments, as musicians share their stories of discrimination and being ‘treated like thugs’

The French national train service SNCF continues to restrict musicians travelling with large instruments, including double basses, causing large public outcry within the musician community.

SNCF currently states the maximum size for an item of luggage is 130cm x 90cm (approximately 4ft 2in x 3ft), while a double bass typically stands at around 190cm in its case. In 2021, an open letter published in Le Monde was signed by 45,000 people, illustrating the struggles faced by those denied access on board trains with large instruments.

Since then, the size restrictions have remained in place for musical instruments, much to the concern of double bassist Sébastien Boisseau, who illustrates that the restrictions have had heavy repercussions on travelling double bassists. ’We are shocked to be treated like thugs and offenders, while traveling with a valid ticket,’ said Boisseau in a statement published by Radio France.

’We are afraid of not being able to arrive at the place of the concert, of losing our commitments. Traveling with these old, fragile, expensive instruments is already stressful, but at the moment, anxiety dominates when buying an SNCF ticket.’

Boisseau highlighted many instances where double bassists were fined for attempting to travel with their instruments. He describes the case of Sarah Murcia, who was fined €50 on the Paris-Bordeaux line in October 2021. ’One of the controllers advised me to change jobs!’ she cried.

Another bassist Stephen Harrison was forced to disembark a train in June 2022 when officers took issue with Harrison’s bass in the train vestibule. Most recently in September 2022, bassist Leïla Soldevila was fined €150, as it was claimed her double bass posed a threat to customer safety on board.

Boisseau states that such measures, as well as preventing travel with full mobility, deprive the musicians the opportunity to participate in the collective effort to fight climate change, as many have no choice but to drive. ’The instrumentalists assume this choice of rail transport [is] the most respectful for the environment… they need the SNCF at their side and not against them!’

SNCF states on its website that there are no size restrictions for suitcases, travel bags and backpacks, strollers, bicycles and skis. SNCF has recently lowered its pricing to allow passengers to bring pets on board for €7, regardless of the animal’s size or the length of journey.

’The SNCF adopts a discriminatory attitude and refuses to a minority of musicians the service which it offers to all the population,’ said Boisseau.

[grahame]

Noting that folding bicycles are allowed where rigid ones are not, could the double bassists not use instruments with folding necks when they are away from home?

[JayMac]

Also noting that there are no restrictions on suitcase and backpack sizes. Perhaps there's scope there to design a squared off suitcase that can hold a double bass. There are also soft cases available for double bass with straps and shoulder harnesses. I suggest the musicians argue these are oddly shaped backpacks.

[Bmblbzzz]

The quoted article suggests the 130 x 90cm limit applies to any item of luggage. In the context of this thread, I wonder if it also applies to accompanying animals? If not, maybe a horse could be taken on board – with or without folding neck? !!!

[stuving]

The quoted article suggests the 130 x 90cm limit applies to any item of luggage. In the context of this thread, I wonder if it also applies to accompanying animals? If not, maybe a horse could be taken on board – with or without folding neck? !!!

But later on it says no limits for suitcases and other bags - which sounds very odd.

SNCF^▸ (Societe Nationale des Chemins de fer Francais - French National Railways)'s own version on line (dated yesterday!) shows there are two clesses of thing involved. Some have to fit in the limit of 130x90 cm, and covers musical instruments, disassembled bikes, and surfboards or snowboards (all must be in a bag or case), plus scooters and folding bikes (must be folded). There is no size limit for cases, bags, backpacks, rigid bikes, skis, and pushchairs (must be folded). 

[Hal]

The bus driver has been sentenced to five years in prison, of which four suspended. But she is still in hospital, having collapsed in the court a few weeks ago.

[stuving]

There was a big derailment last night of a train of containers in Carcassonne station.  By big I mean that it was a big train, it ran derailed for 7 km, and stopped on the exit from the station after tearing upo the track and the edge of the platform. It's also on an important line - the main route east-west across the south from Toulouse to Narbonne and along the coast to Marseille. A big crane is on its way from Lyon - resumption of the local train is given as Sunday, which sounds bit optimistic.

This report from LIndépendant has pictures and a video.