TER 91373
08:40 Nuits-sous-Ravières - Dijon Ville 09:27

SNCF for TER Mobigo BFC

114.64 km/h average
89.8 km
3 stops

Train type: Alstom Régiolis 6 carriages

Also a quick aside…

What’s with station names in France?

My Intercités later stops at St Pierre des Corps - a station on the edge of the city Tours, but Tours isn’t in the station name

Likewise Les Aubrais is on the edge of Orléans, but Orléans isn’t in the name

But they stuck Challes-les-Eaux (popn 5600) on the Chambéry station name although the station isn’t there

And three towns are named at Le Creusot TGV…

The information system on the TER Nuits-sous-Ravières to Dijon was broken

So I wasn’t once warned about gaps between trains and platforms, or to label my bags

And the world didn’t end! 🤯

TER 93011
09:54 Dijon (Ville?) - Nevers 12:19

SNCF for TER Mobigo BFC 88.18km/h
213.1km

9 stops

Bi-mode AGC train, electric first, diesel later. 4 carriages, 4 further carriages to Clermont Ferrand

Upsides of AGC trains (if you’re in the low floor section): massive windows

And the seats are comfortable

Downside: small wheels and no yaw dampers mean a pretty bumpy ride

We’ve now been warned that we can only get out once the train has stopped, and if there is a platform there

Given this is a modern train with centrally locked doors *being able to not respect that would require a staff error*

So announcements like this are for SNCF to legally cover themselves, not actually for any purpose for passengers

Ah

“Objet sur les voies” somewhere near Montchanin

Diverted into Chagny and stuck

Glad I’m on Interrail and can re-plan all of this 🙂

How to cross the tracks at Chagny

This is *totally safe*

Not

Ah that’s nice

I had to show a map to the train manager to explain to her what is and isn’t blocked here. At the very least SNCF could inform its staff where blockages are

“But freight takes a different route!”

Err no. Not here. Don’t talk shit.

A reasonable railway - like DB or ÖBB - would have told passengers for Nevers, Bourges etc - to go to Lyon, and held the Intercités there 10 mins for them. Or go via Paris on a TGV.

But that’s another part of SNCF (this is TER Bourgogne Franche Comté) so they can’t do that.

And there’s little spare capacity in the system *anyway* as everyone is so obsessed maximising yield on each train, so there’s no flex in case of disruption.

And to those of you going “there’s a warning light” in response to the earlier toot: it doesn’t work

Safety conscious SNCF my arse

And the point here isn’t safety only, but consistency

A rail firm that warns you with audio messages not to open the doors all the time - when you can’t because they’re locked

BUT

Has a crossing like this with warning lights that don’t work and no staff

HAS A CONSISTENCY PROBLEM

Ah. Top quality.

Due to the disruption at Chagny the train is running in reverse order (first train Clermont, second train Nevers).

I help a Dutch couple who are hence in the wrong half of the train. They ask the station manager at Montchanin who’s NOT been told the train is in reverse order…

… and it turns out I’m right and the station manager is wrong.

Number of announcements to assist passengers: none.

“To travel on this train you must have a valid ticket”

FFS. Thanks for that.

Also to those going “France has a privatised rail system for long distance trains”, NO it doesn’t.

It has a state owned railway, but for long distance services it’s supposed to be at least cost neutral. That’s a very different thing to “private”.

I’m now finally on the move, heading towards Nevers about 90 mins late.

First stop: Le Creusot

No staff on platform. Train manager doesn’t step down onto platform. Signs on the train not working. So passengers don’t know what train this is pitching up at an odd time at the station.

Meanwhile on board the train manager hasn’t bothered with an announcement or explanation of any sort.

Oh yay. A tree falling on the track: not the responsibility of SNCF says the train manager. Isn’t there some responsibility to cut back trees?

Train manager radioing ahead about connections: not my responsibility says the train manager. “You have to go to the desk in Nevers!”

What the **** is your responsibility?

And I tried explaining that the Intercités Lyon - Nevers - Nantes is +80, my Dijon - Nevers is +90, and given there was 8 mins to change… it might help me and fellow passengers…

… but yeah, you guessed it. Not the train manager’s responsibility.

Ah. We’ve racked up more delay due to speed restrictions

I presume Bourgogne Franche Comté didn’t take responsibility to pay SNCF Réseau to take responsibility for its tracks

Also this situation isn’t dissimilar to last month in Slovenia where my Ljubljana - Celje was delayed meaning I’d miss a connection to Imeno

But there the train manager was proactive, worked out a solution to change in Grobelno instead, and I made it

Here today? 🤷‍♂️

I’ll get to Nantes eventually, but there are people here going much further. Will they I wonder?

And to top it all: train manager makes an announcement arriving in Nevers warning us that leaving luggage behind can lead to a fine, but no word of apology for 100 mins delay

Damn I hate French railways

Shit goes wrong. I get it. But show some solidarity with your damned passengers!

Also why did SNCF not electrify Chagny - Le Creusot (about 40km), and build connecting curves as shown with the arrows?

Doing so would
1) Speed up Strasbourg/Mulhouse/Besançon to Lyon/The South TGVs
2) Provide a diversion route for Dijon-Paris TGVs when there are works on the old Dijon-Les Laumes-Laroche line the TGVs take (closures there this autumn)

It’d even lessen the load on Dijon-Chalon s/ Saône-Maçon-Lyon that’s v full

Damn. Who could possibly resist the appeal of going sitting on a platform like this *without a valid ticket*? 🤷‍♂️

But you’d likely not get fined as checking wouldn’t be anyone’s responsibility

Nevers

Another amazing French system

This Intercités Nevers - Nantes is NOT compulsory reservation. But you can reserve. But there’s no way to know if seats are reserved or not. So is someone going to come here or not?