Toulouse: Why are Total stations still regularly closed?
Since the derailment of a train in Carcassonne on November 23, the supply of TotalEnergie stations has been disrupted. This lack is still noticeable, worrying station operators and frustrating customers.
In front of the Total station on the Boulevard de Suisse, a line of cars stretches longer with each passing minute. The drivers stormed it because 300 meters further, in another Total station, plus a drop of gasoline in the pumps. At the Roseraie, same situation. A lady parks to fill up but is immediately refused. “We were delivered on Thursday, and it left during the day,” says one of the station’s employees. At another station on the road to Spain, traffic cones block the entrance. Impossible to even park there.
Read also :
Shortage of gasoline at TotalEnergies: but why are the stations in the Toulouse region still short of fuel?
The supply of Toulouse stations has been fluctuating since a freight train derailed at Carcassonne station on Wednesday 23 November. According to the testimonies of employees in several Toulouse stations, this incident further disrupts the delivery of fuel. The railway used to arrive at the depot would not yet be repaired. “It’s been two weeks, the deliverers can’t deliver enough to meet demand,” regrets Elodie Barba, head of the Total station on boulevard de Suisse. “The SNCF told us that the works will perhaps end on December 15, but after that we have to take into account all the time of delivery and resupply. We fear that we are not ready for the big departures on vacation. “
Read also :
Accident at Carcassonne station: traffic will resume on both lines of the line on December 16, announces the SNCF
A long road for trucks
The accident in Carcassonne deprived the freight trains of the Castelnaudary-Narbonne track which is used to supply the Toulouse stations with fuel. Since then, alternative paths have had to be taken in an attempt to ease tensions. These include trucks arriving from Port-la-Nouvelle in Aude or other trains taking a longer route from Fos-sur-Mer in Bouches-du-Rhône. “The truck that delivered to us on Thursday came from Marseille, I think,” said an employee at the Roseraie station. For her, this can only be a short-term solution. “Highways have priority and drivers have limited working hours, they cannot be delivered to everyone every week.”
While waiting for a return to normal, finding gasoline is becoming a real feat for Toulouse residents. Philippe, for example, had to make several stops before coming across an operational station. “The closest to my house on avenue de Grande-Bretagne was closed, I then went to Mirail but without success. I finally found a supermarket in Lardenne and again I had to take unleaded 95 instead of 98”.