The strike will therefore be important, but less than during a first weekend, from December 2 to 5, when 60% of the TGV and Intercités had been canceled.

On Friday, in detail, two out of three TGVs should run on the Atlantic and Mediterranean axes, and one in two trains on the North axis.

The Paris-Lille shuttle will however be almost normal.

Three TGV Est out of four will run.

Three Ouigo out of four should also circulate.

The Intercités will run normally.

The details for Saturday and Sunday have not yet been communicated, but the scenario will be almost the same as Friday, "with a slightly degraded scenario", announced Alain Krakovitch, director of TGV-Intercités.

About 200,000 people should not be able to travel, out of 800,000 planned on trains this weekend.

Customers will receive information about their train via SMS and email.

They are encouraged to bring forward their departure if possible, 120,000 places still being available on Wednesday and Thursday, and can exchange their tickets for free, even online according to the SNCF, or be reimbursed.

"The French need to go on vacation, I call on the captains to remember this particular Christmas date and not strike," said Christophe Fanichet.

"Our door remains open if the unions wish to lift the notices".

This strike at the SNCF is in addition to a threat of strike at Air France: two flight crew unions, the UNAC and the SNGAF have filed a notice from Thursday to January 2 but the company does not plan cancellations at this stage. .

- Atypical movement -

Since November, the SNCF has been struggling to establish dialogue with the group of controllers behind this social movement.

They demand better recognition of the specificity of this profession.

The Gare de Lyon in Paris on December 2, 2022 during a strike at the SNCF © STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN / AFP/Archives

The national collective ASCT (CNA) brings together more than 3,500 members on Facebook and rejects any acquaintance with the unions, even if it had to rely on the union organizations to bring its demands and file notices.

But the CGT-Cheminots and SUD-rail, while maintaining the notice, did not call a strike, leaving the door open to the strikers.

"We have done everything to avoid this strike, we have given every chance to social dialogue", launched Mr. Fanichet.

"We have come to new, strong and concrete proposals," he said, again asking the controllers not to stop work.

At the end of a meeting with the collective and unions on December 8, management proposed to increase the "work bonus" for skippers by 600 euros per year, part of which would be integrated into their salary in 2024, as well as an additional allowance of 600 euros gross per year.

Other specific measures concerning advancement have been put on the table in order to facilitate the career development of skippers.

These measures are of a "very good level and respond to the demands of the CNA", had estimated on Friday the Unsa-Ferroviaire, announcing to withdraw its strike notice.

But the CNA, which wanted to organize an online consultation, was unable to come up with a clear position.

“We have detected numerous frauds and attempts to manipulate the vote,” the collective admitted on Friday, forced to cancel the ballot.

He then entrusted the trade unions with organizing votes among their controlling members.

A consultation which did not "allow a majority position to be reached" at SUD-rail, just like at the CGT.

© 2022 AFP