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Tourists and commuters change plans amid French rail strike

Rail firm SNCF says some 86% of trains were cancelled nationwide on Wednesday in second day of industrial action by workers.

La rédaction de Mediapart

This article is freely available.

French commuters are squeezing into scarce trains and tourists are rearranging their plans, as the second day of a three-month strike hits one of the world’s most-travelled rail networks, reports the Belfast Telegraph.

Rail unions and President Emmanuel Macron’s government are holding firm so far in a battle over a plan to abolish a benefits system that allows train drivers and others jobs for life.

The SNCF rail authority said some 86% of trains were cancelled nationwide on Wednesday.

The strike is also hitting international traffic. SNCF said no trains are operating between France and Italy, Spain and Switzerland.

Read more of this report from the Belfast Telegraph.