SNCF Strike & France Train Strike Dates 2025: Info and Best Tips to Survive

About Train Strikes in France

The best way to get around France is by train. The French rail network connects just about every major city, is efficient, and often includes spectacular countryside views. If you know a few simple tips about using trains in France, then it’s an absolute breeze.

Sometimes, however, trains in France go on strike, which is a real pain for locals and tourists alike.

Train strikes in France can be a major inconvenience for travelers, especially if caught off-guard. However, these French rail strikes are scheduled in advance, and dates and times are announced and posted online. This means you can find out about them, in some cases, before you even leave home.

Is there a France train strike tomorrow? What to do if traveling during an SNCF strike or French train strike? Go on reading; this article provides information about train strikes in France dates and my best tips on how to deal with them.

Last update: 12 April 2025, with the addition of one more SNCF strike

Table of Contents:

• SNCF Strike or TGV Strike Does not Necessarily Mean France Train Strike
• France Train Strike Schedule 2025
• France Train Strikes – Description & Traffic Forecast
• What to do if there’s an SNCF strike in France?
• Tips for Getting Around During an SNCF Strike in France 2025
• Strike Trains from Airport to Paris
• Strike TGVs from Paris CDG Airport to Other Cities in France

SNCF Strike or TGV Strike Does not Necessarily Mean France Train Strike

Different trains and train companies operate in France. SNCF (Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Français) is France’s national state-owned railway company, so most of the trains running in France are SNCF trains (TGV trains and other types of trains).

France Train Strike Schedule 2025

The France rail strike dates 2025 (or strike warnings) shown in this article are officially confirmed. There are no rumors, no crystal ball about any train strike in France.

France Train Strikes – Description & Traffic Forecast

17 April to 2 June 2025: Strike warning by the (SNCF) SUD-Rail union to raise awareness of the “deteriorating working conditions” for controllers.

From 5 May 2025: The CGT-Cheminots union calls for train drivers and controllers to strike starting Monday, 5 May. This industrial action will actually begin the evening before and is ahead of the call launched at the beginning of April by SUD-Rail and the ASCT National Collective (CNA) for the period from May 7 to 11. Among the demands, the union is calling for drivers to “reopen negotiations on the overhaul of the traction bonus and on the basis of CGT demands,” and for controllers, “the revaluation and overhaul of the work bonus.” It also criticizes the organization of work and the use of new tools for controllers, which “contributes to the deterioration of relations between operators and supervisors.”

7 May 2025: The SUD-Rail, the leading union among SNCF drivers with 33% representation, calls for a strike on 7 May. The organization is calling for an increase in the specific traction bonus for drivers, as well as its maintenance in the event of sick leave or absence, and an overhaul of its structure to simplify it. At the end of March, SUD-Rail submitted a notice extending from 17 April to 2 June, thus covering the school holidays and the spring bank holidays. The union has now carried out its threat after “three fruitless meetings without the slightest commitment from management.”

9 to 11 May 2025: The Collectif National ASCT (CNA) calls on TGV controllers to strike on the weekend of 9 to 11 May. This collective particularly criticizes the constant last-minute schedule changes and is demanding an earlier schedule and a €100 increase in the work bonus.

Generally, SNCF informs about the trains or train lines impacted 1-2 days before the strike date. Passengers on TGV or Intercités trains affected by the strike are usually contacted by SMS or email (if they have provided their contact details).

Expected Disruptions SNCF Strikes

Waiting for more information in the next few days.

CLARIFICATION: When I write, for example, “2 trains out of 3 on average,” it means that 2/3 of the usual trains for that day will be working.

• National TGV and INOUI trains: waiting for more information. Passengers on canceled trains are usually warned by email or SMS.
• Axe Nord TGV:
• Axe Est TGV:
• Axe Atlantique TGV:
• Axe Sud Est TGV:
• TGV InOUI:
• Province to province:
• Classic Ouigo trains:

• International Trains: waiting for more information.
  • Eurostar:
  • Thalys:
  • Lyria trains:
  • Connections with Germany:
  • Connections with Italy:
  • France – Spain:
• TER trains: waiting for more information. For more details by region, please check directly on the regional sites (click on “info traffic,” then “grève”):
  • Hauts de France
  • Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
  • Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
  • Bretagne
  • Centre-Val de Loire
  • Grand Est
  • Normandie
  • Occitanie
  • Nouvelle Aquitaine
  • Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur
  • Pays de la Loire
• Intercities: waiting for more information. Passengers on canceled trains are usually warned by email or SMS.
• Transilien: waiting for more information. For more details, please check Transilien’s website
• Night Trains: waiting for more information.

Paris Train Strikes

This chapter is about tramway lines and RER train strikes in Paris and Ile-de-France (lines and sections managed by SNCF).

• RER A: waiting for more information. The interconnection RATP /SNCF at Nanterre-Préfecture [TBD] kept
• RER B: waiting for more information. The interconnection RATP /SNCF at Gare du Nord (to go to the airport) [TBD] kept (there’s no need to change trains at Gare du Nord on the surface to continue the journey)
• RER D: waiting for more information.
• RER C and RER E: waiting for more information.

Are Eurostar Trains Impacted by a French Rail Strike?

Even if Eurostar trains are not on strike, any French railway strike could impact their ability to deliver the usual timetable for their train routes in France.

Click here for more information on Eurostar’s impacts and what to do if your journey is affected.

Are Thalys Trains Impacted by a France Train Strike? 

Even if Thalys trains are not on strike, any France train strike could impact their ability to deliver the usual timetable for their France routes.

Click here for more information on Thalys’ impacts and what to do if your journey is affected.

Are TGV Lyria Trains Impacted by a France Rail Strike?

Even if TGV Lyria trains are not on strike, any France rail strike could impact their ability to deliver the usual timetable for their France routes.

Click on the TGV Lyria website for more information on TGV Lyria trains.

Are Deutsche Bahn Trains Impacted by a France Rail Strike?

Even if Deutsche Bahn is not on strike, any France rail strike could impact their ability to deliver the usual timetable for their France routes. Most of the time, TGV /ICE trains traveling from France to Germany or vice versa have a mixed SNCF + Deutsche Bahn crew.

Click on the TGV Lyria website for more information on TGV Lyria trains.

What to do if there’s an SNCF strike in France?

I cannot say that in France, train strikes are infrequent. From time to time, they happen. You might be lucky and travel around France many times without ever dealing with a transportation strike in France. However, it only takes one instance of having travel plans thwarted by an unexpected strike to ruin a trip. These are my top tips for dealing with a TGV strike or any other SNCF strike.

a- Learn About the SNCF Strike Dates in Advance

The good news is that France schedules its strikes in advance, meaning there are some ways you can avoid dealing with them entirely, even if you already have your train tickets.

There are many ways to learn about French train strikes: newspapers, radio, or even travel blogs like this one!

By checking the France train strike schedule beforehand, you may be able to adjust travel plans or avoid traveling during the day when the strike will take place.

b- Understand What Kind of Trains are on Strike in France

As mentioned above, a train strike in France does not mean the whole French rail network is on strike. Is it an SNCF strike? What kind of trains are on strike? What kind of train have you booked?

Tips for Getting Around During an SNCF Strike in France 2025

OK. So there’s an SNCF strike, and you have planned /booked a train journey in France for precisely that day. What to do?

The bad news is that there are no ‘guaranteed minimum transport services when strikes are scheduled in France. Service depends mainly on what (trains) and who (drivers) are available. In other words, if SNCF wants to shut down all its services, it can do it.

b- You Have Booked Your Train Tickets with SNCF

First of all, don’t panic! Follow these simple steps:

1. Check the SNCF train status to see if your train is one of the canceled trains or not.

To do this, go to the SNCF website and then click on the ‘Train Number’ tab. Enter your train number (it’s marked on the ticket) and your travel date. The system will tell you immediately the status of your train.

2. The SNCF train status says your train has not been canceled.

If your train is not canceled, don’t worry! There may be some disruptions or delays, but you should be OK.

3. The SNCF train status says your train is one of the canceled SNCF trains.

Oh no! This is too bad. If your train is canceled, SNCF proposes different solutions for this strike:

• A free exchange on all TGVs where there is space
• OR a 100% refund of the ticket price if you cancel your trip scheduled during the strike dates

If, for any reason, your ticket is stated as “non-refundable” or the website does not propose a total refund (please verify this before the last click), contact them directly with your ticket reference number.

If you booked your train with Ouigo trains, contact them directly for an exchange or refund.

4. What if your train arrives at the destination late because of a train strike?

For TGV, Intercités, OuiGO lines, and international lines, passengers are entitled to compensation ranging from 25% to 75% of the ticket price depending on the length of the delay (the minimum delay for compensation is 30 minutes).

The requests for compensation for delayed TGV and Intercité trains are treated on this site: https://garantie30minutes.sncf.com/s/?language=en_US