Paris (AFP)

Eleven metro lines closed to the RATP, more than 90% of SNCF trains removed, hundreds of flights canceled at Air France and EasyJet: transport will be very badly disrupted Thursday by the calls for the strike against the pension reform.

- SNCF: "Less than 10%" -

"With less than 10% of the usual traffic" Thursday "on the entire network" SNCF, "very clearly, we invite our customers to cancel their trips," said Tuesday the director of communication of the group.

The mobilization of railway workers "is stronger than in 2018", during the great strike against the railway reform, the never seen since the entry into force of the law of 2007 on the guaranteed service, noted Agnès Ogier.

The TERs will be the most affected by this unlimited strike. Only 3% of these regional trains will circulate on average, or even none in certain regions. Brittany and Occitania will be the most affected. Substitute coaches will provide 23% of the usual connections.

On the TGV network, the Atlantic and South-East routes will be the most disturbed, with 10% of the trains in circulation. There will be one TGV in six on the East, North and Ouigo, one Eurostar out of two and two out of three Thalys. No intersector TGV (province-province) will roll.

In Ile-de-France, 90% of Transilien (RER SNCF and suburban trains) will be eliminated, with often skeletal or even non-existent service on certain lines.

Similarly, 90% of intercity trains will remain at the depot. Towards Normandy, for example, there are only two round trips between Paris, Rouen and Le Havre.

- RATP: worse than in September -

Eleven closed sixteen metro lines, no RER at off-peak hours: after the "warning shot" of the rigorous RATP strike on 13 September - a record of disruptions since 2007 -, traffic will be "extremely disturbed" on the ground. network on Thursday, the first day of a strike there also unlimited.

There will be no metro on lines 2, 3, 3bis, 5, 6, 7bis, 8, 10, 11, 12 and 13, a line more closed compared to the September movement.

On line 9, one metro out of four is planned, but only between the stations Nation and Mairie de Montreuil, and "only" at rush hour (06H30-09H30, 17H00-20H00).

The service will also be available only during rush hours on lines 4 (one metro out of three) and 7 (one metro out of four).

Automatic lines 1 and 14 will run normally, "with the risk of saturation during rush hour", warns the management.

Half of the RER A and one third of the RER B will circulate, but only during peak hours.

The bus network will be better served with one-third of the traffic on the day.

On the tramways side, there will be one out of three at rush hour on lines 1, 2, 3a, 3b and 5, while "all day" is planned for one of three tramways on lines 7 and 8, as well as only one tramway out of two on line 6.

- Air: the affected short and medium-haul -

At the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGAC), the USAC-CGT, the second union among air traffic controllers and first all staff, calls for a strike until Saturday.

The DGAC has set up a minimum service in the air navigation centers and some airports. But she still asked airlines to reduce Thursday for 20% their flight program at Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Paris-Orly, Beauvais, Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse and Bordeaux.

At Air France, the long haul will not be affected. By contrast, 30% of domestic flights and 15% of medium-haul scheduled for Thursday are removed. The company does not specify the number of flights involved.

The British EasyJet renounces "part" of its French program on Thursday and strikes the program 233 domestic and medium-haul flights.

© 2019 AFP