The man jumped from a moving train. An investigation has been opened. He joined the SNCF in 1997 and participated extensively in the mobilizations against pension reform.
During this Christmas period, railway workers are in mourning: in the middle of New Year's Eve, this Tuesday, December 24, a driver jumped from his moving train. The man committed suicide south of Seine-et-Marne, causing major disruptions on the South-East line.
“As soon as he left his driving position, the train's automatic stopping devices were activated and the train stopped automatically”wrote the SNCF in a press release. No passengers were injured. Some trains were up to five hours late. An investigation was opened by the Melun public prosecutor's office to “search for the causes of death”.
27 years of driving SNCF trains
«In my memory as a railway worker, this is the first time I have heard of a driver throwing himself out of his TGV cabin into the middle of the track.”reacted to FranceInfo Bernard Aubin, general secretary of the First union, “It’s horrible, it’s a tragedy for everyone”.
According to our colleagues at Progress the man in question would be Bruno Rejony, a driver engaged within the CGT, in particular as secretary of the CGT union of Loire railway workers. Aged 52, he worked very regularly on the regional express train network. According to the regional newspaper, he joined the SNCF in 1997 and participated largely in the mobilizations against pension reform.
On his Facebook account, Bruno Rejony had shared certain difficulties he faced shortly before committing the irremediable. Father of an autistic child, he explained that he felt “dumped, helpless”. “A recent hospitalization which could have allowed a little rest after all. It's an impasse again and again. Some understand, others don't (…) The whole point is to be surrounded in these moments by people who love you, but who really love you, that's something.”he wrote on November 20. On January 6, 2024, he shared a photo of himself on board an SNCF train to celebrate his 27 years of driving.
The new Minister of Transport Philippe Tabarot assured Thursday that it was “above all a human drama» and that the gesture of this driver would be “more linked to very important personal and family problems than to professional problems”. On X, Cécile Cukierman, senator from the Loire, greeted a man who “had anchored the defense of the public rail service”.
If you need help or if you are faced with the suicide of a member of your entourage, you can contact the line Suicide listens reachable 24/7 at 01 45 39 40 00, or 3114 national suicide prevention number.
