Attack on RATP and SNCF: don’t crush on Paris transport
The days of strikes in Paris transport follow one another and are similar to one another. As in November and February 2022, the social movements that took part this Thursday at the RATP and SNCF against pension reform did not generate any fanfare scenes.
Instead, 9 million regular travelers appear to have once again made arrangements. Teleworking, RTT… Those who can stay at home. Even on the highway, traffic jam levels are at a lower level than the “classic” Thursday morning average.
Between 7am and 9am, the Saint-Lazare pier, Châtelet – Les Halles or Juvisy-sur-Orge (Essonne) is strangely deserted. Some students, construction workers, domestic helpers; all trades that require physical presence, on the other hand, have no choice but to try to use one of the few carts in circulation.
Waiting on platform 12, Karima is a household assistant. “I left Argenteuil (Val-d’Oise) this morning. I’m very lucky, I have a J line train. I’m going to the 6th arrondissement, I’m helping my parents at home.” Stephanie, she prefers teleworking. He went to the Convention station. “I work in a notary’s office. Our boss asked us to try to attend… I left Guy Môquet (Paris XVII) a little early. Too bad I’m late…”
“Feels like the start of Covid”
Komlan, an automotive engineer, took the 13th line in Saint-Denis, with Saint-Lazare as the extraordinary end. “I have to go to Montparnasse, I have a lab test day that I don’t want to cancel. Luckily, there were a few people, it felt like the start of Covid…”
At Châtelet – les Halles, RER A and B are also lightly loaded. The RER A train passes by, almost empty. Félix, dressed as a construction worker, takes the lead to go to the Poissy (Yvelines) sector, where he is working on a building under construction. “I left La Courneuve (Seine-Saint-Denis) on metro line 7…but there are a lot of closed stations! I got off at Gare de Lyon, I took the wrong line. Here it is, RER A seems to be going well,” he said before rushing into the double-decker train.
The same affluence deserved a public holiday at the suburban station, far upstream of the capital. At 8:30 a.m., in Juvisy-sur-Orge (Essonne), served by RER C and D and usually bustling during the morning rush hour, almost more “red vests” mobilized than the obvious travelers opting for the mode of transport. other or stay at home. It must be said that traffic was as expected: fewer than one in ten trains on the two RER lines.
The indicator screen is blank from any mention. With the exception of the screen located in front of the validator which displays “Traffic is smooth. Happy traveling! “Traffic is not smooth. It barely exists. “No more trains on line D, towards Paris or Corbeil”, announced the station’s loudspeaker, just before 9am. “Well, well, I’m stuck,” explains Lucas, 20. The young man, who studied at a construction company, left at 7:30 am from his home in Brétigny to go to Brunoy, still in Essonne. “Double penalty” for passengers who have to use both RER lines for this trip.
“How will I return? »
“I got a C, which I waited so long to get to Juvisy. But I don’t have D to go on. I will try to take C to go home,” said the young man fatalistically. Outside the station, Paula doesn’t take her eyes off the screen showing nothing but a reminder of the “interprofessional national social movement”. This caregiver had to go to a patient in the 9th arrondissement but didn’t really know how to get there. He might be able to get on the last line C “zara” train that will leave for Paris (terminal at Austerlitz) at 9:33 am.
“But then I have to take line 14 which is operating normally and then line 7… which I believe only runs during peak hours. And after that, tonight, how will I get home? “, sighed nanny. He also resigned himself to turning around to return to his home in Athis-Mons. “I can go there by bus. They were driving normally this morning,” he concluded.
