https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from France in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed They're set for a major expansion with a target of carrying an extra 8 million passengers a year - but what exactly are France's Ouigo trains and how do they differ from the classic TGV? https://www.thelocal.fr/20260429/ouigo-everything-you-need-to-know-about-frances-low-cost-trains Wed, 29 Apr 2026 17:09:32 +0200 ouigo-everything-you-need-to-know-about-frances-low-cost-trains The first service on a revived night train between Paris and Berlin arrived in the German capital on Friday morning, winning plaudits from its passengers. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260327/full-steam-ahead-for-revived-paris-berlin-night-train Fri, 27 Mar 2026 16:21:38 +0100 full-steam-ahead-for-revived-paris-berlin-night-train Rail users in south western and central France have sounded the alarm bell amid fears they will lose crucial regional train lines. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260204/we-live-here-fears-grow-in-south-western-france-over-loss-of-train-lines Wed, 04 Feb 2026 15:21:59 +0100 we-live-here-fears-grow-in-south-western-france-over-loss-of-train-lines The Paris to Berlin night train faces being taken off the tracks less than two years after it returned to the railway schedules - even though it's proved popular with travellers. https://www.thelocal.fr/20250925/why-the-future-of-the-popular-paris-to-berlin-night-train-is-in-doubt Thu, 25 Sep 2025 18:25:44 +0200 why-the-future-of-the-popular-paris-to-berlin-night-train-is-in-doubt France's national rail service, SNCF, has announced it will launch a new, ultra-premium class starting in January 2026. https://www.thelocal.fr/20250924/frances-sncf-rail-service-to-launch-new-optimum-class Wed, 24 Sep 2025 14:56:47 +0200 frances-sncf-rail-service-to-launch-new-optimum-class Environmental campaign group Greenpeace has slammed the fact that budget flights between destinations in Europe are still often significantly cheaper than travelling by train. https://www.thelocal.fr/20250822/unfair-budget-flights-in-europe-up-to-26-times-cheaper-than-train-routes Fri, 22 Aug 2025 18:32:46 +0200 unfair-budget-flights-in-europe-up-to-26-times-cheaper-than-train-routes After frustrated passengers boarded the 'trains of anger' on Tuesday to protest chronic delays and cancellations along two French rail lines, The Local reveals which train routes are actually the worst for disruptions. https://www.thelocal.fr/20250415/revealed-frances-five-worst-rail-lines-for-delays-and-cancellations Tue, 15 Apr 2025 17:16:29 +0200 revealed-frances-five-worst-rail-lines-for-delays-and-cancellations Italy's competition watchdog said on Friday that it was investigating state-owned rail operator Ferrovie dello Stato (FS) for allegedly "hindering" French competitor SNCF Voyages in its efforts to enter the Italian market. https://www.thelocal.fr/20250321/italys-rail-operator-fs-under-investigation-for-hindering-french-competitor Fri, 21 Mar 2025 13:58:01 +0100 italys-rail-operator-fs-under-investigation-for-hindering-french-competitor If you were thinking of letting the train take the strain of an early summer holiday in France, you’d better get your skates on, because tickets have gone on sale. https://www.thelocal.fr/20250212/frances-sncf-opens-ticket-office-for-early-summer-getaway-rush Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:21:54 +0100 frances-sncf-opens-ticket-office-for-early-summer-getaway-rush The maiden run of a sleeper train from Brussels to Venice ended well short of its destination on Thursday, in a telling tale of the troubles of cross-Europe rail travel. https://www.thelocal.fr/20250206/venice-sleeper-train-setback-reveals-europes-rail-troubles Thu, 06 Feb 2025 16:51:14 +0100 venice-sleeper-train-setback-reveals-europes-rail-troubles Following the success of the daily high-speed Berlin-Paris route, Germany and France's railway operators say they want to roll out more direct connections, including between Munich and Paris. https://www.thelocal.fr/20250124/new-munich-paris-high-speed-rail-service-planned Fri, 24 Jan 2025 12:30:12 +0100 new-munich-paris-high-speed-rail-service-planned French and German rail operators launched the first direct high-speed rail link between Paris and Berlin on Monday, in response to growing European demand for train travel. https://www.thelocal.fr/20241216/new-direct-paris-berlin-high-speed-train-service-makes-debut Mon, 16 Dec 2024 14:12:48 +0100 new-direct-paris-berlin-high-speed-train-service-makes-debut The EU is launching a new effort to simplify cross-border train travel. The idea is to make it possible for passengers to travel through different European countries with one single ticket. https://www.thelocal.fr/20241111/eu-in-new-push-to-make-european-train-travel-easier-with-single-ticket-plan Mon, 11 Nov 2024 13:28:40 +0100 eu-in-new-push-to-make-european-train-travel-easier-with-single-ticket-plan Trade unions at France's railway operator SNCF on Saturday called for an unlimited strike from next month that could disrupt train services during the upcoming Christmas holidays. https://www.thelocal.fr/20241109/french-rail-unions-threaten-to-strike-ahead-of-christmas Sat, 09 Nov 2024 15:47:16 +0100 french-rail-unions-threaten-to-strike-ahead-of-christmas A recent update to SNCF Voyageurs' general terms and conditions of sale requires passengers to take their seats within 15 minutes of departure, or risk losing it. https://www.thelocal.fr/20240918/revealed-the-15-minute-rule-on-french-trains Wed, 18 Sep 2024 18:21:47 +0200 revealed-the-15-minute-rule-on-french-trains New rules that limit the number - and size - of suitcases and bags that passengers can take on board French SNCF trains are now in force. Here is what you need to know to avoid a fine. https://www.thelocal.fr/20240221/french-train-passengers-limited-to-two-bags Wed, 21 Feb 2024 18:04:42 +0100 french-train-passengers-limited-to-two-bags Travelling from Sweden to the UK and back by train via stops in Denmark, Germany, Belgium and France is no easy feat. But The Local's Richard Orange and his two kids managed to do it back in 2022. Here's the advice he gave for other travellers hoping to avoid the planes back then. https://www.thelocal.fr/20220629/something-always-goes-wrong-what-i-learned-taking-the-train-through-europe-with-two-kids Wed, 29 Jun 2022 12:59:43 +0200 something-always-goes-wrong-what-i-learned-taking-the-train-through-europe-with-two-kids Commuters on trains between Geneva and Lyon (and vice versa) have had to face a number of problems over the years. But there is a new move to drastically improve the service. https://www.thelocal.fr/20240612/why-the-strategic-geneva-to-lyon-train-line-need-drastic-improvement Wed, 12 Jun 2024 16:10:03 +0200 why-the-strategic-geneva-to-lyon-train-line-need-drastic-improvement A direct rail route between Barcelona and Paris which was set to launch in time for the Summer Olympics has been delayed due to setbacks in France, as has another new sleeper train between Barcelona and Amsterdam. https://www.thelocal.fr/20240416/spains-barcelona-paris-train-link-delayed-until-after-olympics Tue, 16 Apr 2024 15:05:14 +0200 spains-barcelona-paris-train-link-delayed-until-after-olympics After being offline for around a decade, the French and German capitals are again getting a direct night train linking them, with the first one departing on Monday evening. From frequency to costs, here’s the basics of a new rail trip from Paris to Berlin. https://www.thelocal.fr/20231211/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-new-berlin-paris-night-train Mon, 11 Dec 2023 15:06:15 +0100 everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-new-berlin-paris-night-train