France - railways, public transport, services and incidents (merged posts)

[whole diary]

[stuving]

The court has - at last - just handed down its verdicts: Guilty for SNCF^▸ (Societe Nationale des Chemins de fer Francais - French National Railways) (SNCF Infra at the time) with a fine of €300,000, not guilty for the individual PW^▸ (Permanent Way - the railway track) engineer at SNCF and for SNCF Réseau (the infrastructure manager, was RFF). The specific charge sounds odd outside France , but implies negligence in its duty to ensure safety, plus being a repeat offender (adds a third to the fine) - fair enough, in the sense that it's not the first time such an accident has happened. The fine recognises the much greater cost to SNCF of compensating the victims and families.

No word of any appeal, and I can't really see why SNCF would want to. And if that's it, it's less than ten years end to end - not slow at all, as these things go!

[stuving]

Here's a report of that in English from Euronews:

French rail operator SNCF^▸ (Societe Nationale des Chemins de fer Francais - French National Railways) fined over fatal 2013 train crash near Paris Access to the comments Comments
By AFP  with Euronews  •  Updated: 26/10/2022 - 13:29

France’s national rail operator has been convicted of manslaughter over a deadly train crash near Paris nine years ago.

SNCF was found criminally responsible for the accident, which killed seven people and injured more than 400 others.

The 3657 Intercity Paris-Limoges train derailed at Brétigny-sur-Orge station, south of the French capital, on 12 July 2013.

Investigators later found that a broken metal bar had caused the train to leave the tracks and hit the station platform.

On Wednesday, the court in Evry found SNCF guilty of involuntary injury and manslaughter and fined the French state company €300,000.

But former SNCF employee Laurent Waton and SNCF Réseau, a subsidiary company responsible for managing the railway line, were cleared by the court. Waton had carried out the last surveillance of the track eight days before the accident.

Victims’ associations had accused SNCF of failing to maintain the track, which led to "the decay of the suburban network".

The French company had acknowledged its “moral responsibility” for the derailment but claimed that the accident was caused by an undetectable defect in the steel.

But the court found that the metal bar had been damaged since 2008 and had been poorly maintained for five years.

"This negligence in monitoring the core is definitely linked to the derailment," the judge said on Wednesday.

The verdict can be appealed.

[stuving]

And for some people, their best friend is not a dog but a surf board ... or a double bass? From The Strad:

Fury as double bassists barred from French trains

Size restrictions on SNCF^▸ (Societe Nationale des Chemins de fer Francais - French National Railways) trains exclude double bassists from travelling with their instruments, as musicians share their stories of discrimination and being ‘treated like thugs’

The French national train service SNCF continues to restrict musicians travelling with large instruments, including double basses, causing large public outcry within the musician community.

SNCF currently states the maximum size for an item of luggage is 130cm x 90cm (approximately 4ft 2in x 3ft), while a double bass typically stands at around 190cm in its case. In 2021, an open letter published in Le Monde was signed by 45,000 people, illustrating the struggles faced by those denied access on board trains with large instruments.

Since then, the size restrictions have remained in place for musical instruments, much to the concern of double bassist Sébastien Boisseau, who illustrates that the restrictions have had heavy repercussions on travelling double bassists. ’We are shocked to be treated like thugs and offenders, while traveling with a valid ticket,’ said Boisseau in a statement published by Radio France.

’We are afraid of not being able to arrive at the place of the concert, of losing our commitments. Traveling with these old, fragile, expensive instruments is already stressful, but at the moment, anxiety dominates when buying an SNCF ticket.’

Boisseau highlighted many instances where double bassists were fined for attempting to travel with their instruments. He describes the case of Sarah Murcia, who was fined €50 on the Paris-Bordeaux line in October 2021. ’One of the controllers advised me to change jobs!’ she cried.

Another bassist Stephen Harrison was forced to disembark a train in June 2022 when officers took issue with Harrison’s bass in the train vestibule. Most recently in September 2022, bassist Leïla Soldevila was fined €150, as it was claimed her double bass posed a threat to customer safety on board.

Boisseau states that such measures, as well as preventing travel with full mobility, deprive the musicians the opportunity to participate in the collective effort to fight climate change, as many have no choice but to drive. ’The instrumentalists assume this choice of rail transport [is] the most respectful for the environment… they need the SNCF at their side and not against them!’

SNCF states on its website that there are no size restrictions for suitcases, travel bags and backpacks, strollers, bicycles and skis. SNCF has recently lowered its pricing to allow passengers to bring pets on board for €7, regardless of the animal’s size or the length of journey.

’The SNCF adopts a discriminatory attitude and refuses to a minority of musicians the service which it offers to all the population,’ said Boisseau.

[grahame]

Noting that folding bicycles are allowed where rigid ones are not, could the double bassists not use instruments with folding necks when they are away from home?

[JayMac]

Also noting that there are no restrictions on suitcase and backpack sizes. Perhaps there's scope there to design a squared off suitcase that can hold a double bass. There are also soft cases available for double bass with straps and shoulder harnesses. I suggest the musicians argue these are oddly shaped backpacks.

[Bmblbzzz]

The quoted article suggests the 130 x 90cm limit applies to any item of luggage. In the context of this thread, I wonder if it also applies to accompanying animals? If not, maybe a horse could be taken on board – with or without folding neck? !!!

[stuving]

The quoted article suggests the 130 x 90cm limit applies to any item of luggage. In the context of this thread, I wonder if it also applies to accompanying animals? If not, maybe a horse could be taken on board – with or without folding neck? !!!

But later on it says no limits for suitcases and other bags - which sounds very odd.

SNCF^▸ (Societe Nationale des Chemins de fer Francais - French National Railways)'s own version on line (dated yesterday!) shows there are two clesses of thing involved. Some have to fit in the limit of 130x90 cm, and covers musical instruments, disassembled bikes, and surfboards or snowboards (all must be in a bag or case), plus scooters and folding bikes (must be folded). There is no size limit for cases, bags, backpacks, rigid bikes, skis, and pushchairs (must be folded). 

[Hal]

The bus driver has been sentenced to five years in prison, of which four suspended. But she is still in hospital, having collapsed in the court a few weeks ago.

[stuving]

There was a big derailment last night of a train of containers in Carcassonne station.  By big I mean that it was a big train, it ran derailed for 7 km, and stopped on the exit from the station after tearing upo the track and the edge of the platform. It's also on an important line - the main route east-west across the south from Toulouse to Narbonne and along the coast to Marseille. A big crane is on its way from Lyon - resumption of the local train is given as Sunday, which sounds bit optimistic.

This report from LIndépendant has pictures and a video.

[stuving]

Since the train is still sitting on the track (or what's left of it), the big crane coming to lift the remains is a rail crane. I guess they may take containers off separately. There are 28 wagons in all, though I'm not sure all are container flats.

Reopening will initially be just one track. For the other one, relaying it over 4.3 km is quoted as taking until mid-December and costing €13M. 

[Mark A]

Off topic: not knowing France well, and moved to check for diversionary routes between Toulouse and points east, the short answer is no. (The long answer is that there are some sights on Google Streetview that are a diversion in themselves, this being one. The viaduct being behind the camera, you'll need to turn round).

There seems to be a platform there too, shame it's not a formal station.

https://www.google.com/maps/@44.1258279,2.3314445,3a,75y,347.63h,99.12t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sP7KHJrpHdg-Wy8ftiPtJIA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!5m2!1e1!1e4

Mark

[Clan Line]

I read in today's paper that the French railways are also suffering strike action over the Christmas period. SNCF^▸ (Societe Nationale des Chemins de fer Francais - French National Railways) have stated that they will refund would-be passengers with double the fare they paid if they cannot travel.  Any chance GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway), SWR^» (South Western Railway - about), TPE^▸ (Trans Pennine Express), Avanti, etc, etc, etc........................

[brooklea]

Think of the inflation that would stoke, as people rush to invest in First Class Anytime Returns, confident of rapidly doubling their money!

[stuving]

The refund/rebooking plus "exceptional" 200% compensation applies to SNCF^▸ (Societe Nationale des Chemins de fer Francais - French National Railways)-marketed services: TGV^▸ (Train a Grande Vitesse)(INOUI/OUIGO) and Intercités, which are all reserved places. For TERs they refer you to the relevant region. But that 200% whether you travel or not, for which e-mails are already going out, is obviously a big safety net, like the guarantees offered during Covid-time, to encourage customers to trust the proven untrustworthy.

In fact this strike, caused by a group of controlleurs, but negotiated by the unions for them, has just been settled. That is too late to save Christmas, but removes the threat of similar at New Year. Unless of course someone else wants to join in!

[TonyK]

Think of the inflation that would stoke, as people rush to invest in First Class Anytime Returns, confident of rapidly doubling their money!

It would be my luck to buy four 1st Class Anytime from Nice to Calais, then read that the strike has been called off at the last minute.