France Nationwide Strike on November 5 Puts Train Services at Risk

Five French union federations — CFDT, CGT, FO, UNSA and FSU — published a joint call on October 5 for a nationwide strike on Thursday, November 5, 2026, in opposition to the government's proposed 2027 budget. Their demands cover wages, pensions, the civil-service pay index, public-service funding, employment and industry.

Rail travel faces real disruption risk. The four main SNCF rail unions are backing the action, meaning TGV high-speed trains, regional TER trains, Intercités long-distance services and Paris-area Transilien suburban trains could all be affected. No official cancellation figures or traffic forecasts had been published as of October 14. Under French law, workers must file individual strike declarations 48 hours in advance, so operators are expected to release line-by-line forecasts on November 4.

Travellers are advised to hold existing bookings for now, choose flexible or exchangeable fares where possible, and check SNCF Connect, RATP and Île-de-France Mobilités on the evening of November 4 before deciding whether to keep, shift or reroute each journey leg. Paris city transport could also be affected, though no specific RATP notice for November 5 had been published as of October 14.

The strike follows a turbulent autumn that included the September 29 civil-service strike and cost-of-living protests on October 17 that led to a record 855 arrests in the Paris capital region, according to Paris police, and about 1,800 arrests nationwide, according to AFP.