Christmas train strike in France leaves 200,000 scrambling to make new travel plans

National train operator SNCF has axed more than a third of scheduled trains for the Christmas weekend

A platform at Gare Saint-Lazare train station in Paris, during a strike by the capital's public transport operator RATP and SNCF employees in 2019. AFP

About 200,000 people in France have been left scrambling to make other travel plans after the country’s national rail operator announced major cancellations due to a strike.

SNCF has axed more than a third of scheduled trains for the Christmas weekend, when millions were planning to travel for family gatherings.

High-speed TGV lines, the mainstay of long-distance rail travel in France, were the worst affected, leading to a rush for flights, rental cars and car-pooling.

"I understand their demands but do they have to go on strike during the festivities?", said Isabelle Barrier, whose train to Toulouse was cancelled.

"They couldn't give a damn about people. If they want to strike, I understand, but not the Christmas weekend!", said Emilio Quintana, a father struggling to find a ticket to Marseille.

SNCF's travel division boss Christophe Fanichet apologised to travellers on Wednesday and called the strike action by ticket inspectors - launched without union backing - "scandalous" and "unacceptable".

"You don't strike at Christmas," agreed government spokesman Olivier Veran.

Ticket inspectors are demanding a further pay hike beyond the 12 per cent increase already negotiated, which would take effect over two years, according to SNCF.

Annual inflation is running at about 6 per cent in France, lower than in most other European countries which are also facing public sector strikes.

Neighbouring Britain has been hit by a wave of strikes by rail workers, postal staff, nurses, passport control workers and ambulance drivers.

According to the SNCF website earlier, half or more of scheduled trains for the weekend had been cancelled on key routes, such as Paris to Rennes in western France, and Paris to Bordeaux, in the south-west.

Half the services to Spain have been cut, and a third of those to Italy.

The rail operator promised re-bookings free of charge, including for more expensive seats, but most TGVs were already fully booked on Wednesday.

It also offered to give out vouchers worth twice the original ticket price to people whose trains have been cancelled. This applies to those who manage to exchange their tickets.

But travellers queueing at railway stations said that was not much of a consolation for a ruined holiday.

Mathilde, a 38-year-old Parisian whose train to Bordeaux was cancelled, said she was tempted to get on another train, even without a ticket.

"I might try to force my way on to a train, although I'm not sure that will work," she said, adding: "I don't expect the SNCF to be very understanding."