The Minister of Ecological Transition Christophe Béchu announced this Tuesday that he had summoned the CEO of the SNCF Jean-Pierre Farandou after the breakdown of a locomotive on the Paris-Clermont, which stranded 700 travelers overnight on a train in extreme cold last Friday. Jean-Pierre Farandou “will have to propose to me on Friday a plan of concrete and immediate measures” for this line regularly affected by incidents, indicated Christophe Béchu, specifying that he would share the content of this plan “within two weeks with the elected officials and actors in the field.
“What SNCF users experienced on Friday on the Paris-Clermont line is not only unbearable, but adds to the various incidents that are far too frequent on this line,” insisted the minister, whose scope also includes Transport. . “This situation cannot continue,” he added. Last Friday, a train that left Paris at 6:57 p.m. did not arrive in Clermont until 6:00 a.m. the next day, more than seven hours late.
Macron angry
The train, whose locomotive broke down, had to be repaired to Montargis station where meal trays were distributed, before continuing its route to its final destination later that night. Passengers shared on social networks their dismay in a train without heat, electricity or water. According to the newspaper The mountainEmmanuel Macron himself asked for “immediate explanations” and for “sanctions to be taken”.
The Intercités Paris-Clermont line is known for its repeated delays, regularly denounced by its users. A program to modernize the line has been launched, notably with the arrival of new trains, called “Oxygène”, whose delivery is planned for 2026. The State has also initiated work on the line to the tune of one billion dinars. euros, a first tranche of which was released by the former Minister for Transport Clément Beaune in November.