Lack of staff, cancelled trains, closed ticket offices… in Aveyron, train users are left at the platform

La direction régionale de la SNCF a regretté ces fermetures forcées. CPA

Une association dénonce les dysfonctionnements sur la ligne entre Rodez, Capdenac et Brive alors qu’un manque de personnel a entraîné les fermetures des gares de Rodez, de Saint-Christophe ou encore de Viviez-Decazeville, par intermittence, tout au long du mois d’août.

The Association for the Defense of Assier Station in the Lot and the Promotion of Rail has highlighted “multiple recurring malfunctions”, which affected the stations of Saint-Christophe, Viviez-Decazeville and especially Rodez.

Indeed, the station remained closed on Sunday, August 18, in the morning, to train traffic and saw “its ticket offices closed without the possibility of buying tickets or obtaining information”, regrets the association in an open letter addressed to the regional director of TER Occitanie. The Saint-Christophe station has, according to the association, remained closed every afternoon since "the beginning of August".

Finally, the Viviez-Decazeville station was closed from August 17 to 21. “The closure of Rodez station is exceptional and we regret it”. In the stations, the “agents ensure the safety of users and trains on a section from Rodez to Capdenac, i.e. 47 kilometers, they ensure intersections, the spacing of traffic“, etc.

“In fact, trains and/or will be canceled in both directions of traffic between Rodez and Capdenac and between Rodez and Carmaux”, continue the representatives of the association who denounce “the lack of personnel".

"This situation continues. And the regional SNCF does not anticipate the number of personnel needed to remedy the operation of the public service during the summer period. The number of agents on leave is known well in advance." 

For its part, the regional management of the SNCF explains that "necessarily unforeseen" sick leave has complicated the implementation of schedules. "The summer period, with the holidays, has not made things easier. The closure of the Rodez station is exceptional and we regret it." However, according to the regional management, the situation returned "to normal this week and will also be for the start of the school year."