“It’s an absurd project. » Thursday morning, at the call of several SNCF unions, a strike movement was observed at the national level. In Haute-Loire, the CGT 43 had chosen to concentrate its action in and around the Retournac station.
No train between Le Puy-en-Velay and Saint-Étienne
All trains between Saint-Étienne and Le Puy-en-Velay have been canceled for this day of mobilization. “Substitution buses have been put in place. The Bas-Monistrol and Le Puy-en-Velay stations have joined our movement. The Aurec-sur-Loire station is partially functioning,” explains Joris Leclercq, SNCF agent in Retournac.
What about the demands? “The position of traffic policeman, mornings on weekdays and evenings on weekends, would be replaced by a simple reception at the counter. This threatens two positions within the station. Behind all this is a desire to eventually eliminate the reception position,” explains Joris Leclercq, who fears being transferred to another department if the position is eliminated. For the mayor of the town, Patricia Goudard, present to support the agents, “SNCF Voyageurs is offering a position at the counter for one year on an experimental basis. The end goal would be to remove it.”
“The train in competition with the road”
But that's not all. “This replacement would not allow trains to pass each other in the mornings and weekends at Retournac station, but only at Vorey-sur-Arzon and Bas-Monistrol. At the slightest incident, this would cause significant delays on the line, or even train cancellations. This is unacceptable for travelers. »
Every day, between twenty and twenty-five trains stop here. “We are putting rail in direct competition with the RN88 which is being deployed, contrary to the strategy of the SNCF which wants to eliminate positions. If there is a delay, users will be forced to take the car,” complains Renaud Daumas, regional environmental advisor who came to provide his support.
“It’s impossible for the station to close”
Everyone present at the event is convinced: there will be an impact on the service provided to travelers. “It doesn’t only concern people from the town, there are also those from throughout the Pays des Sucs. The station in Retournac is impossible for it to close. The service provided today is important for the safety of passengers. The agents, in addition to the counter, clean the tracks, take care of people with disabilities, which will not be done by the person alone at the counter,” underlines Patricia Goudard.
For now, the councilor is counting on the support of other elected officials and institutions to make the SNCF bend. “I transmitted the information to the office of deputy Laurent Wauquiez and I contacted the departmental advisors. This project has not yet been finalized, but is well advanced in its discussions. »
For its part, the management of SNCF Réseau Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes had confirmed in our November 20 edition “that an organizational change concerning the Retournac station would be implemented on June 1, 2025” in order to meet the objectives economic performance of the rail system.
A petition has been launched. So far, almost 1,000 signatures have been collected. “Like two years ago, we are not going to give up. »
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