Faced with attacks from three trade union organizations concerning the low-cost branch of the SNCF, the railway company deplores “unacceptable” conduct.
“If it continues like this, there is a truth for the safety of travelers”deplores Arnaud Marcinkiewicz, secretary of the CGT Cheminots, who has been worried for several weeks about the malfunctions occurring on several of the 38 Ouigo trains in circulation. Taking the example of axles in poor condition which, according to them, could have led to the derailment of a train, the CGT, Unsa-Ferroviaire and Sud-Rail judged the Ouigo management to“irresponsible” to let the trains circulate in this state. In a press release, the unions denounce a low-cost logic taken to the extreme to the detriment of the quality of service and therefore call for a mobilization this Friday at 11 a.m. in front of the Ouigo headquarters, located at Gare de Lyon. According to the CGT, between 80 and 90% of staff could go on strike if negotiations are unsuccessful. Opposite, the SNCF was quick to react, rejecting the comments made by the unions.
Because the latter do not weigh their words. “Over the last three months, the Ouigo TGVs have accumulated more incidents (…) and train cancellations than over the last two years, on all routes combined”denounce the unions in their joint press release. “What we are denouncing is the low-cost model which has reached its limits”with “material overexploitation” on “aging equipment”points out the CGT Cheminots. And if the problem is not recent, Arnaud Marcinkiewicz believes that there has been a “big acceleration” lately with “up to 7 trains immobilized out of the 38” existing Ouigo trains. “Anger is growing, we made a conscious choice to let the holidays pass but now, we are sounding the alarm”adds the secretary of the CGT Cheminots.
Same maintenance rules
“It is unacceptable to say that Ouigo trains make agents and travelers feel unsafe. The maintenance and upkeep rules (for Ouigo trains) are exactly the same as for the entire TGV fleet.replied the general director of Ouigo Jérôme Laffon, during a press point organized on Tuesday. He deplored the remarks “irresponsible” of certain unions which imply that the safety of staff and passengers could be neglected, while the rate of breakdowns on Ouigo trains is, according to him, “substantially the same” than on TGVs.
As a reminder, Ouigo's model is based on trains without bar cars to maximize the number of seats (644 per train), running up to 15 hours per day and multiplying rotations to guarantee the lowest possible prices. “One in two tickets is sold for less than 30 euros on Ouigo trains, and less than 19 euros on the classic branch”explains Jérôme Laffon. Except that to maintain the pace, an Ouigo train travels 700,000 km over the year, or 40% more than the TGV Inoui. Concerning their maintenance, this is carried out at night, in the technical centers, to optimize their use during the day.
This is also what the unions denounce, given the lack of resources and personnel in these centers. Pointing out inextricables “hardware failures”, “delays” that this entails but also “cockroaches and bedbugs »they are demanding a new maintenance policy as well as an exceptional bonus for agents due to degraded working conditions. According to Jérôme Laffon, there have been no reports of bedbugs in Ouigo trains in recent months and the protocol for combating pests (often cockroaches) has been reinforced. Reports for the presence of pests concern “two trains per month to break everything”he says.
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A rapidly developing offering
Ouigo has, however, decided to strengthen its cleaning protocol, particularly when trains are at the platform, with teams of six people compared to four previously. “When you have a lot of people, when you have to eat on site, it can create a certain amount of waste”recognizes Jérôme Laffon. Ouigo trains are nearly 91% full on average and they carried 25 million passengers in 2025. SNCF Voyageurs plans to increase its Ouigo offer by 2027, in order to respond to the explosion in demand, since these trains can carry more passengers.
The company will have 50 trainsets by early 2027 compared to 38 currently. A renewal of the equipment currently in circulation is also planned. The CGT-Cheminots for its part denounces the choice of the SNCF to send 14 trainsets to Spain to compete with Renfe on its territory then “that they would be very useful [en France] to strengthen circulation, improve services and ensure good maintenance conditions”. In December, an NGO placed Ouigo in 25th place out of 27 in a ranking of European railway companies, due to a quality of service considered poor despite the very low prices charged.
