The SNCF strike on November 5, 2026 is going ahead. On that Thursday, CGT-Cheminots, UNSA-Ferroviaire, SUD-Rail and CFDT-Cheminots are jointly calling on rail workers to stop work, on the eve of the inaugural journey of the TGV M. The strike is nationwide: TGV, Intercités and TER services could be affected, both from major Paris stations and across the regions.
In Île-de-France, from Paris to Seine-Saint-Denis, where SNCF is headquartered, the RER and Transilien trains operated by the company could also be affected. No figures are available yet. The situation has become more tense: the strike falls on the day of the interprofessional strike and demonstration on November 5, and the CGT is now calling for a general strike starting on that date. Here’s what we know as of Friday, October 23, 2026.
The call is united, which remains fairly rare among railway workers and is worth highlighting. It brings together CGT-Cheminots, UNSA-Ferroviaire, SUD-Rail and CFDT-Cheminots. The four representative federations signed a joint statement dated October 15, published under the slogan “Social downgrading, an urgent need to boost purchasing power: let’s reverse the trend!”, as reported in detail by Dijon Actualités.
UNSA-Ferroviaire sums up the schedule in a slogan: “Rally on November 3, strike on the 5th.” Seeing the CGT and CFDT, often at odds over tactics, move forward in lockstep is a little like hearing rival stands sing the same refrain. Management would find it hard to turn a deaf ear.
At the heart of the conflict is purchasing power. In their statement, the unions cite inflation of more than 2.4%, energy prices up 16.7% and basic foodstuffs up 5.8%. Soaring fuel prices are weighing most heavily on employees working shifts, who often have no choice but to drive to work at dawn or in the middle of the night.
Their demands come down to four points: a general pay rise, a substantial increase in work-related bonuses, a reform of the residence allowance, and a 13th-month salary for all railway workers, whether permanent employees or contractors. They point out that the group announced a net profit of 1.2 billion euros for the first half of the year in July and are calling for a fairer share of the proceeds.
Beyond pay slips, the unions denounce staff shortages, budget cuts to the network and the effects of opening it up to competition. In their view, these decisions undermine working conditions and could affect the safety of rail traffic.
On Friday, November 6, the TGV M is set to make its maiden journey between Paris-Gare-de-Lyon (12th arrondissement) and Marseille-Saint-Charles. Built by Alstom, the double-decker train can carry up to 740 passengers per trainset, and its introduction has been delayed several times since the Paris 2024 Olympics, Made in Marseille reports.
Calling a strike the day before is a bit like cutting the sound system just before the opening night of a much-anticipated show. The message to management is crystal clear. At this stage, however, there is no way to say that the launch the following day will be disrupted.
No official list is available for now. A strike call does not necessarily mean that all trains will be canceled: it will depend on the number of employees taking part. Railway workers must give notice at least 48 hours in advance, and the SNCF draws up its transport plan based on those declarations.
For TGV, Intercités and TER trains, final schedules are generally published the previous day from 5 p.m. onward—in this case, late afternoon on Wednesday, November 4. Passengers who provided their contact details when booking are notified by text message or email if their train is changed.
In Île-de-France, the impact on the RER and Transilien remains a major unknown. The six main Paris railway stations will need to be monitored: Gare du Nord and Gare de l’Est in the 10th arrondissement, Gare de Lyon and Gare d’Austerlitz in the 12th and 13th, Gare Montparnasse in the 15th, and Gare Saint-Lazare in the 8th.
On the RATP side, to our knowledge, no specific strike notice has been announced for November 5 as of October 23. The metro is therefore not affected by the rail workers’ strike call. However, the situation could change: on October 21, after a meeting at the prime minister’s office with Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, CGT Secretary General Sophie Binet called for a strike at all workplaces starting November 5, as reported by franceinfo.
This call could lead to strike notices being filed across Paris’s public transport network by early November. Traffic forecasts are generally published the day before on the websites of the RATP and Île-de-France Mobilités.
In Paris, the day could bring two challenges at once: fewer trains departing from the major stations and an interprofessional demonstration whose route has not yet been announced. The rules have also been tightened. At the end of a security council meeting on October 22, Emmanuel Macron said that only demonstrations organized by unions could be authorized and that prefects would propose alternative routes to keep city centers safe, reports Public Sénat.
The march on November 5, called by the inter-union coalition, is following the usual procedure, but its route remains worth keeping an eye on. On October 17, the police prefecture had 25 metro stations closed along the routes, and a partial curfew remains in effect around République and Les Halles until October 26. If you have a train to catch this Thursday, allow extra time to get to the station.
For residents of the Île-de-France region who work in the capital, it will all depend on the RER and Transilien service plans, which will be announced the day before. As long as the RATP is not affected, the metro remains the safest alternative for journeys within the city.
One more step could still change everything. On Tuesday, November 3, a meeting on purchasing power, announced by CEO Jean Castex, is set to bring unions and management together at SNCF headquarters in Saint-Denis (Seine-Saint-Denis). The four federations are calling on rail workers to turn out in large numbers outside the building that day.
If concrete announcements emerge from this meeting, the call could be reconsidered. As of October 23, nothing had been disclosed, and the November 5 strike was still on.
There’s no need to change your ticket just yet: until the transport plan is published, it’s impossible to know whether your train will be among those still running. The best thing to do is turn on notifications and check your journey late in the afternoon on November 4 on SNCF Connect for long-distance trains, or on the Transilien website for trains in the Île-de-France region.
If a service is cancelled, a TGV INOUI or Intercités ticket can be exchanged or refunded free of charge when exceptional measures are in place. Refunds are not always automatic: you may sometimes need to cancel your trip yourself in your customer account. For a journey with a TER connection, it is best to check each train separately, as one may be running while the other remains at the station.
For everyday journeys, working from home or leaving at a different time can help you avoid a lot of hassle. Our metro, RER and train traffic update, updated daily, lists the announced disruptions.
Good news for families: the return journeys from the All Saints’ Day school holidays over the weekend of October 31 and November 1 are not affected by this call. For updates on the rest of November 5, including the demonstration and schools, our full article on the November 5 general strike is being updated as announcements are made.
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