A week after the announcement of a reconfinement in sixteen departments France, Aube, Nièvre and Rhône have joined the restricted areas. In these three departments, mobility is restricted to a 10km radius, and inter-regional travel is prohibited except for compelling or professional reasons.
La SNCF had warned following the Prime Minister's announcements on 18 March: " Over the next few days, we will be able to observe changes in passengers' travel needs, before adapting the transport offer if necessary to meet them. ". The new transport plan unveiled on 25 March by the railway company is therefore marked by a fall in activity linked to a fall in demand: " Following the announcements of 18 March, SNCF Voyageurs notes that the level of bookings on long-distance trains for the month of April is currently 65% lower than in 2019 for the same period. "says the group in a press release.
Specifically, from Monday, the offer will fall to 3 TGV out of 10 on the North axis - most affected by the reconfiguration - but the Paris-Lille will benefit from a "reinforcement" with 4 TGV out of 10. All towns in the Hauts-de-France region will be linked to Paris at least twice a day. On the EastSNCF will be operating 4 to 5 TGVs out of 10, compared with 5 to 6 on the Atlantic. As for the South-East route, SNCF is maintaining its current offer of 6 TGVs out of 10 on weekdays. All routes should also be reinforced during periods of increased demand, particularly during the approaching holidays.
International business travellers should also be prepared for a reduced offer. There will be only one daily return on the Eurostar network between London and Paris, as well as on the London-Lille-Brussels-Amsterdam route. Connections between Paris and Brussels will be more extensive, with 4 return trips a day operated by Thalys, including one to Amsterdam and another to Dortmund. The Lyria network (6 return trips to Switzerland) and the Alleo network (8 return trips per day to Germany) will also be operational. SNCF points out that all tickets are exchangeable and refundable free of charge up to the last minute.
