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Local France
11-06-2025
- Local France
Metro, RER and trams: Summer of disruption on Paris public transport
Passenger numbers on public transport in Paris usually fall in the summer as Parisians head to the beach - and transport operators take the opportunity to do repair, maintenance and extension works. Which means significant disruption on Metro, tram and RER lines over the summer period. Here's what to expect this year; Metro After postponing some projects last summer due to the Olympics, Metro operator RATP has a busy schedule of summer work that involves some level of disruption on almost all of the capital's lines. Ligne 1: Traffic will be interrupted between La Défense and Charles de Gaulle - Étoile stations from August 11th to 31st. Ligne 3: Traffic will be interrupted between Opéra and Gallieni stations from June 28th to August 3rd. Gallieni is the terminus, so in effect this means that only half of line 3 will be running during that five-week period. Ligne 4: Traffic will be interrupted between Les Halles and Porte d ' Orléans stations from July 5th to July 14th. Advertisement Ligne 6: Cambronne station will remain closed from June 30th until September 28th inclusive. Ligne 7: Traffic will be interrupted between La Courneuve 8 mai 1945 and Chaussée d'Antin - La Fayette stations between July 18th and July 24th. Ligne 8: No services between Concorde and Reuilly-Diderot stations from August 18th to 31st. Ligne 9: Traffic will be suspended along the entire line from 10.45pm on August 4th, to August 8th. Ligne 12: Traffic will be interrupted between Montparnasse and Mairie d ' Issy stations from July 28th to August 7th inclusive. Ligne 13: Trains will not stop at Gabriel Péri station from July 14th to August 31st; Gaieté station will close from July 18th to July 20th; and Pernety station will be closed from July21 st to August 31st. Ligne 14: Traffic will be suspended along the entire line from August 4th to August 8th. Trams T1: The T1 will be closed during the second half of July between the Gare-de-Saint-Denis and Hôpital-Delafontaine stops. Replacement buses will stop as close as possible to the stations. T2: Long-term work to improve operating conditions on the T2 line requires the redevelopment of the terminus at Porte de Versailles. The line will terminate at Suzanne-Lenglen station during works – which are scheduled to last until February 2026. A pedestrian route will be set up to allow passengers to connect between the two stations, which are 1km apart. RER / Transilien The RER netork, which serves Paris' outer suburbs including connections to Charles de Gaulle airport, has also extensive works planned, as have the greater Paris Transilien rail links. RER A: Services will be suspended on Line A between Le Vésinet-Le Pecq and Saint-Germain-en-Laye in the Yvelines department from August 9th to August 22nd for track equipment, sleepers, and ballasts to be renewed. They will also be suspended from 10pm until the end of service between Rueil-Malmaison, Hauts-de-Seine, and Saint-Germain-en-Laye on Friday, August 8th, and Friday, August 22nd. Replacement buses will be provided, as well as taxis for people with reduced mobility. Lignes A, L and J: SNCF Réseau are carrying out overnight maintenance and modernisation work on the tracks on the Cergy (Val-d'Oise) and Poissy (Yvelines) branches in the Maisons-Laffitte area until June 29th, affecting services on Lignes L and J as well as RER A. Advertisement RER B: To renew the track equipment ahead of the arrival of new trains, services will be suspended after the Denfert-Rochereau station from 10.45pm until the end of services on August 1st, as well as from August 4th to 8th inclusive, on August 11th and 12th, on August 14th, and from August 18th to 22nd. Lignes B, D, H, and K: The installation of the new cathedral bridge in Saint-Denis is continuing. The old structure will be dismantled from July 12th to 14th, requiring changes to services on lines B, D, and K. From August 15th to 17th, there will be a final interruption to restore signaling, which will affect lines B, D, H, K, and TER services. RER B South and C South: In parallel with the modernisation work on ligne C, SNCF Réseau has a project to relieve congestion south of Montparnasse station, which should eventually separate TGV and RER C traffic. The creation of the new facilities requires the relocation of the RER B South tracks. As the RER C is right next to it, it will also have to be suspended during the work. RER C services will be suspended from July 12th to August 23rd between Pont-de-Rungis and Massy-Palaiseau, and RER B services will be suspended between July 15th and August 27th between Croix-de-Berny and Massy-Palaiseau. A replacement shuttle service will be provided between the stations concerned. This does not affect connections to Charles de Gaulle airport. Advertisement RER C: More than 120 projects are in the works on the longest and oldest line in the Île-de-France region, necessitating a six-week interruption of services from July 12th to August 23rd between Paris-d'Austerlitz and Avenue-Henri-Martin, Versailles-Château - Rive-Gauche and Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines. During the closure, SNCF Réseau will replace 5 km of track and four sets of points, as well as reinforce flood prevention systems in a tunnel below the level of the Seine in Paris. Meanwhile, work is nearing completion on the 150-year-old Pont des Souverains railway bridge that supports the 13 tracks at Saint-Lazare station – disrupting services on Lignes L and J run and RER C from August 1st to 12th. And work is planned on the line at Saint-Ouen station to create two fire safety zones on the central section. As a result, the line will be closed between Avenue-Henri-Martin and Pontoise on July 26th and from August 1st to 23rd. Finally, work replacing the overhead electricity cables in Essonne will affect RER C services. Advertisement RER D and R: Work on access tracks to the technical centre at Villeneuve-Saint-Georges will be carried out overnight, Monday to Friday, until the end of 2025. Stations between Maisons-Alfort, Alfortville and Villeneuve-Triage will not be served in either direction every weekday evening. RER E and Ligne P: Overnight work will take place until August 23rd on sections of lines E and P to replace worn rails. On the RER E, work will take place between Émerainville and Roissy-en-Brie in Seine-et-Marne, and on line P, it will take place between Verneuil-l'Étang and Longueville. Separately, point-replacement work on Ligne P in Vaires-sur-Marne in Seine-et-Marne, will disrupt train services on weeknights from June 30th to August 22nd, as well as continuously on the weekends of July 19th and 20th, July 26th and 27th, and August 2nd and 3rd. In La Ferté-Milon, the replacement of 17km of track will also affect services for four weeks from July 15th to August 9th. RER H North: Modernisation work on the line will take place in the Bruyères-sur-Oise area in Val-d'Oise, affecting services during the weekends of June 28th and 29th and July 5th and 6th, and on weeknights until August 1st. Ligne J: Train service on line J will be disrupted in August due to maintenance work near the Bois-Colombes and Argenteuil stations. The work will take place at night on weekdays from August 11th to September 6th, as well as all day on the weekend of August 30th and 31st. Ligne K: Major track renewal work is planned between Dammartin - Juilly - Saint-Mard in Seine-et-Marne and Crépy-en-Valois in Oise. The work will take place at night, Monday to Friday until June 27th, and will disrupt late services. Ligne R: Track replacement work at Livry-sur-Seine, Seine-et-Marne, and essential platform modifications at Fontaine-le-Port will lead to disruption Monday to Friday between 10.30am and 3.30pm from July 21st to August 29th, and continuously during the weekends of August 9th and 10th, and August 16th and 17th. Good luck!
Metro
10-06-2025
- Metro
Little-known luggage rule could land you a £126 fine on Europe's busiest tube
One European Tube network has a little-known rule that could land you in hot water (Picture: Getty Images) If you're heading to Paris this summer, there's a little-known luggage rule you'll need to be aware of, or risk ending up €150 (£126.82) out of pocket. According to the RATP (Regie Autonome des Transports Parisiens, the state-owned transport network), suitcases, backpacks and even packages over 75cm aren't allowed on the city's Metro network. It's pretty strict — given that airlines, including British Airways, allow checked baggage up to 90cm in length — and breaking the rules carries a hefty fine of €150. There are rules in place for other larger items too, including prams, which are 'preferably folded' while on board, and parcels and packages aren't allowed to exceed 2m in length. The fine — which is higher than that for fare dodging (which carries on an the spot fee of €35, which is around £29.61) — has actually been in place for years, but has made headlines recently on social media. Last month, a Parisian journalist took to X after she was handed a €150 fine, not for a large suitcase, but for taking an exotic plant on board. Sign up to The Getaway newsletter Fuel your wanderlust with our curated newsletter of travel deals, guides and inspiration. Sign up here. 'I had the (un)pleasure of receiving a €150 fine for having…carried a plant (admittedly quite tall) on the Tube,' Salome Ferraris penned on X. After her Navigo pass and ID were seized by Metro staff and several minutes passed without an explanation, Salome was told that her new houseplant was considered an offence because it was too 'bulky.' 'She had the nerve to tell us that we should just take another type of transport next time,' Salome added after she was fined. 'This is super eco-friendly to have to rent a car to transport a simple plant. €70 of plant and €150 of fine. Numbers are not good.' Once she'd stumped up the cash, Salome learned that she could actually contest the fine – and once she did, she was refunded the money. Is the Paris Metro's luggage policy actually enforced? Following the plant debacle, RATP told French publication Le Figaro that it doesn't impose 'any specific dimensions concerning suitcases' – despite the fact that the 75cm rule still appears on the website. And Parisian travellers say there's outrage over nothing, as the rule is rarely enforced. 'Big up to the tourists, they're gonna love it,' one local says (Picture: Getty Images) One local, who has lived in the city for five years, tells Metro that they've 'never heard' of the luggage policy. 'I'm English, so I've often got a big case with me as I head to and from the Eurostar to go back to the UK. I've never been fined for travelling with a large suitcase,' she says. 'Neither have any of my friends here. 'However, some of the tubes are so busy sometimes, that you wouldn't actually be able to squeeze a big case on even if you wanted to.' Paris' Metro is actually the busiest in Europe, according to a 2024 study (after Moscow, which was not included in the analysis), which found that the system carries close to 4.1 million passengers every day. The travellers says she has experienced hefty fines for a different reason. 'They have zero mercy if you buy the wrong ticket, or if you don't write your name on your ticket if you have an annual pass,' she shares. Others agreed that they've never had trouble lugging around big bags on the Metro. Just last week @timbomcchoi admitted to carrying 'a full-length IKEA mirror on the Métro.' Meanwhile, @Rc72 joked: 'You can tell how seriously the RATP takes its own rules when you see that the stations have gates specifically designed for large suitcases.' Regardless, other travellers say it's not okay to have the policy in place, whether enforced or not. Over on the r/France Subreddit, @Elena_4815 labelled it 'completely stupid.' @Electronic-Ear-5509 suggested that the network 'wants to charge us for every single thing we do,' joking that 'breathing's gonna cost extra too?' Metro has contacted RATP for comment. Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@ Arrow MORE: Student, 15, stabs teaching assistant to death during bag search at French school Arrow MORE: 'Enchanting' European city is a hidden gem with £1 pints and new £18 Wizz Air flights Arrow MORE: Eurostar will run direct trains from London to Germany and Switzerland: 'A new golden age'
Reuters
10-06-2025
- Business
- Reuters
FirstGroup shares soar on full-year profit beat, eyes UK transport opportunities
June 10 (Reuters) - British public transport operator FirstGroup (FGP.L), opens new tab reported full-year profit ahead of market expectations on Tuesday, helped by strong performance of its bus division and recent acquisitions. Shares in the London-listed company, which carries more than a million passengers daily on its buses and trains, rose more than 6% after it also announced an additional share buyback of 50 million pounds and raised dividend by 18% to 6.5 pence a share. Britain, as part of a new spending review, pledged 15.6 billion pounds ($21.04 billion) for transport projects targeting cities outside London, which have long been underfunded. "We intend to build up a good, strong bid team and we intend to participate in the opportunities as and when they come to market," CEO Graham Sutherland told Reuters, adding that he expects further details on the government's spending plans on Wednesday. FirstGroup has been expanding its bus network across Britain, including by entering the London market earlier this year with its acquisition of RATP London. Its First Bus service, which caters to about a fifth of the UK population, reported revenue of 1.08 billion pounds for the year ended March 29, ahead of expectations of 1.05 billion pounds, according to a company-compiled consensus. The company also acquired track access for two open access services between London Euston and Stirling and between London Paddington and South Wales, last year. FirstGroup was looking at further acquisitions this year, Sutherland said. Sutherland expects growth in buses and its open access rail companies such as Hull trains and Lumo. This is likely to counter the hit from nationalization of some of its railway projects. Nationalisation of its South Western Railway unit, which happened in May, will hit the company's fiscal 2026 revenue, Sutherland said. The unit contributed about 1.18 billion pounds in revenue in fiscal 2025. The Aberdeen-based company posted adjusted earnings per share of 19.3 pence for the year, ahead of company-compiled consensus of 18.9 pence. ($1 = 0.7414 pounds)
Time Out
06-06-2025
- Time Out
What's the deal with bringing luggage onto the Paris metro?
Paris 's metro is not only iconic, but it's hands-down the city's most relied-upon form of transport, with around 1.5 billion journeys made on it every year, according to RATP (the state-owned operator which oversees public transport in Greater Paris and Île-de-France). However, there's been a bit of confusion lately about the rules surrounding bringing luggage onto the network, after social media users became aware of a not-so-new but pretty noteworthy rule around size restrictions for suitcases. View this post on Instagram A post shared by 2 Croissants 1 Baguette (@2croissants1baguette) ICYMI: These are the new rules on smoking in France that you need to know about. Technically, suitcases, rucksacks and packages where the largest diameter exceeds 75 cm (or 29.5 inches) are not allowed to be brought onto the metro, and an announcement reiterating this restriction was made on May 5, according to The Connexion. However, because of the discrepancy between RATP's sizing restrictions and those of the various airlines that operate to and from the French capital's airports (which allow bigger bag dimensions), there's been a fair bit of backlash. A user on X (fka Twitter) posted: 'Is this a joke? You can travel the world with your suitcase, but if you arrive [at the airport] on the RATP metro, you risk a fine of €200'. Now, The Connexion reports that RATP has announced that it imposes 'no precise dimensions on suitcases'. Problem solved. But, was it ever such a big deal? Well, according to users on Reddit, no, not really. Last month Travellerette asked if this restriction was really something to worry about. Apparently, 'I went to ask the staff at the metro and she smiled and rolled her eyes and said I should forget about it. It seems to be a mess.' Another user commented: 'There is always a very small risk that a zealous controller who's in a bad mood gives you a fine but it would probably be reimbursed if you started posting about it on social media.' So, it looks like you'll probably be fine bringing your large suitcase onto the metro in Paris – just keep an eye out for any jobsworth train inspectors.
Local France
30-05-2025
- Politics
- Local France
French union calls 'general strike' for June
"For our pensions, our jobs and our salaries", the French union, CGT, wrote in their call for workers across sectors in France to walk out Thursday, June 5th. The sector-wide strike is intended to target both the public and the private sector and demand higher wages and a lower cost of living, as well as to continue to show opposition to the 2023 pension reform, which raised France's retirement age from 62 to 64. Advertisement It's worth noting, however, that only the CGT union has issued this call - the rest of France's eight union federations are not joining the action, with the result that disruption is likely to be limited. However it is likely that there will be protests in several cities across France, while public transport services could be disrupted. You can see the map of protests planned here . Train travel In a press release sent on Tuesday, the CGT-Cheminots, which is the largest union representing train drivers, has called for "all railway workers" in France to strike on June 5th, as new negotiations with management at SNCF (French national rail service) begin on June 4th. It is also possible that the Sud Rail union could join strike action on June 5th, which could lead to greater disruption for travellers. However, the Sud Rail union has so far told the French press that they would not be participating and instead are planning "less predictable actions", in order to avoid management relying on volunteer reserve workers, as they did to keep trains running during the May strikes. Meanwhile, the ASCT collective, which is supported by Sud Rail and represents conductors (ticket inspectors), has also said they did not plan to join in strike action on June 5th, regional news outlet Sud Ouest reported. Advertisement Either way, French rail workers must declare their plans to strike 48 hours in advance, so a strike timetable would be available on Tuesday, June 3rd. In comparison, the strikes at the start of May were not nearly as disruptive as initially expected, with the main impacts felt on local and regional trains, particularly those in the Paris area. Public transport The CGT union also represents workers in other sectors, including the RATP (Paris public transport). The CGT branch for RATP workers is also calling on workers to walk out on June 5th, though it remains to be seen how many participate. In Nice, the public transportation network has also warned that trams and buses will not run on June 5th due to strike action. What about other strike dates? According to previous reports, CGT had called for strikes on June 4th, but the latest announcements by the union have focused solely on June 5th. The union has also called for train drivers to walk out on June 11th.
