Rail transport in Hauts-de-France, episode 289. The mea culpa followed by promises from the SNCF have not changed the catastrophic situation of regional trains in Hauts-de-France. Every morning, every evening, users sweat profusely before consulting the SNCF app, which confirms to them the maintenance or not of the TER which must take them to work or bring them home. Cancellations of trains by the dozens daily, which the rail carrier puts on the back of a lack of staff.
On Monday, a new adapted transport plan (PTA) was to come into force for the entire Hauts-de-France TER network with, as a result, the elimination of around 140 trains per day for a year. The postulate of the SNCF being that it is better to cancel certain trains during a given period rather than doing it at the last moment, for lack of personnel. An idea that makes sense, but which has made almost everyone jump, users, user associations and politicians.
SNCF will not find a solution in two weeks
Faced with the outcry, and after an interview with the regional president, Xavier Bertrand, the SNCF decided to temporize by suspending the implementation of the PTA. The carrier has given itself two weeks to propose a less drastic solution, in other words, to put a lighter PTA on the table.
Nevertheless, there will still be fewer trains running, from Monday, in particular because of the All Saints holidays. And these two weeks of respite will not allow all the same to solve the basic problem, namely that it lacks about sixty train drivers in the region to ensure a normal service.