SNCF: at the Toulouse-Matabiau station, when the destination “Rodez” no longer responds …
Between works at the SNCF station in the Pink City as on the Toulouse – Rodez line and social movements, story in “I tested for you” mode of an 8-hour trip, this Thursday, April 21.
The trip was to start from Toulouse at 7:25 a.m. this Thursday, April 21, from Matabiau station, to end at 9:46 a.m. in Rodez, after 2:21 a.m. trip by TER. It was slightly more complicated. We tell you.
Back from a short vacation between Lille, the Netherlands and Germany (eight full days of good weather, I say that, I say nothing), I was on time for this 7:25 TER train to Rodez . What to arrive quietly on the piton and even to stroll a little before resuming work at 2 p.m. But what I didn’t know from the “Ch’Nord” where I was the day before was the strike notice filed by the railway unions for this Thursday, April 21. Suddenly, the 7:25 train, deleted. Normally, the next TER for Rodez is at 10:05 am, enough time to have a coffee or two. But with the strike, plus the works at the Matabiau station which will last until 2023, the day was already shaping up to be tricky. Especially since when we were looking for the next Toulouse Rodez train on an automaton, there were no results, and no Rodez on the departure board…
You can search, but…
Back in the station hall and I ask an information agent if the train to Rodez still exists. The guy searches on his gadget and says: “You will have to take the train from Cahors to Figeac, which leaves at 9:01 a.m., then change for Capdenac-Gare.
– And what time does he arrive in Rodez?
– 1:43 p.m.
More than 4h40 of travel, I told myself that I could find less time. And in theory, it was possible: at 9.20 a.m., a substitute bus went to Carmaux where a LIO connection (regular coach lines in Occitania, but also trains) left at 12.34 p.m. to reach Rodez at 1.36 p.m. A journey of barely 1h02. Happiness, what.
Liaison LIO, the ghost train
![In Carmaux, the LIO buses only served Albi.](https://images.centrepresseaveyron.fr/api/v1/images/view/626181f6ae64347192340e13/full/image.jpg?v=1)
In Carmaux, the LIO buses only served Albi.
So I take the ticket, get in the car, and join Carmaux a little reassured. In the station, the departure board displayed “Rodez, 12:34 p.m., lane B, on time”. Everything’s fine. I even had time to swallow a couscous in 20 minutes flat at the Grand Café de la Poste. On the way back, I realize that all the accesses to the platform are closed. I skip a gate, go to platform B, but at 12:34, nothing, not the museum of a TER in the colors of LIO. I skip the grid again in case, strike forces, this LIO train had not been replaced by a car, but again, nothing other than the regional buses providing the Albi-Carmaux link. I phone 0 800 31 31 31, the LIO info number, to find out if there is a replacement bus planned for Rodez, but I only hear something like “Due to too big number of calls, we cannot respond to your request. Please call back called”. And click, it hangs up. While chomping at the bit in front of the LIO panel of the Toulouse-Albi-Rodez train in front of the station, I see a very small word that tells me that for our “comfort” in particular, “maintenance work provides for the closure of your line from February 12 to 13, from March 7 to May 6 and from May 28 to 29“Ah yeah, I had forgotten about those works…
Does this mean that on strike or not, I wouldn’t have had this train, even though it was announced on the departure info panel from the station? I take advantage of the flash of a pretty blonde lady at the station ticket office to ask her. She replies: “But it’s the panel, it updates automatically, it’s the strike, there’s no train.”
![The 12:34 to Rodez, on time, but not there...](https://images.centrepresseaveyron.fr/api/v1/images/view/626181f6049a48309222e9d3/full/image.jpg?v=1)
The 12:34 to Rodez, on time, but not there…
And the next train, finally, the next bus for Rodez, is at 2:10 p.m., for an arrival at 3:25 p.m. Struggling to get to work on time.
Alternatives? No alternative
Well, to clock in on time, let’s have a look on Blablacar. Alas, all the Carmaux – Toulouse journeys are full, except one, which leaves too late for me. One of the effects of the strike. I then resolve to call a carmausin taxi, even if, according to the latest stock market prices, the trip will cost me more than a return flight Toulouse-Lille, for example. Just saying. At the other end of the line, Mr. Redoulès, a taxi driver, huffs when I ask him if he can take me to Rodez: “Listen, it bothers me, but I can’t say yes to you. I’m overwhelmed . I’m not even going to give you the phone number of my colleagues, it won’t be of any use to you. We called each other between colleagues, we are all full for the day “.
Another effect of the strike.
I therefore resolve to wait for the substitute bus at 2:10 p.m., and warn work that I will be two hours late. Finally, I take off from Carmaux and after a galley trip that will have lasted eight hours, I end up landing at 3:25 p.m. sharp in Rodez, under the clouds and the raindrops, thinking with a few sighs of the sun of old Lille, beaches of Bürgh-Hamstede in the Netherlands or the lakes of Westphalia.
Just saying.
I remember an SNCF advertising slogan from a few years ago: “With the SNCF, everything is possible”. I agree, anything is possible. Include the galleys.
For this Friday, April 22, we’re doing it again
This Thursday 21, the site sncf-connect.com indicated the Toulouse-Rodez trains in circulation for Friday April 22, thus skipping those of the day. But it will now be necessary to put those of Saturday April 23, because the strike movement is renewed for this April 22.
The press release from the SNCF on Thursday “recommends travelers to postpone their trips”, in order to avoid this type of “troublesome trip”.
All the information will be available this Thursday from 7 p.m. on the SNCF information channels :
The LIO Train SNCF website: trainlio.sncf.com
The SNCF Application
Contact LIO Train SNCF Occitanie: 0 800 31 31 31 (free service and call)
Twitter account : @lio_train_sncf