Tourists, commuters seek workarounds to French train strikes

Published April 04, 2018

French commuters are squeezing into scarce trains and tourists are rearranging their plans, as Day 2 of a three-month strike hobbles one of the world's most-traveled rail networks.

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 percent of trains were canceled nationwide Wednesday.

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

At the Gare Saint-Lazare in northern Paris, passengers squeezed painfully in and out of trains or waited on overflowing platforms.

Macron says the train worker overhaul is necessary to make France more globally competitive.

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https://www.foxnews.com/world/tourists-commuters-seek-workarounds-to-french-train-strikes