France: SNCF rail strike on 29 September 2026, on the public-service strike day

SUD-Rail has called railway workers across France to strike on Tuesday 29 September 2026. The federation announced the call on 9 September after proposing a joint date to the other rail unions, which did not take it up; it wants SNCF to reopen pay negotiations after the failed June round, halt local and national reorganisations and the transfer of activities to subsidiaries, and act on staffing, training and equipment.

The date is not a coincidence: 29 September is the national public-service strike day, when CGT, FO, CFDT, UNSA, FSU, Solidaires and CFE-CGC call civil servants in all three branches of the public service to strike and demonstrate over pay. Railway staff are not civil servants, but SUD-Rail chose the day to join the wider movement, and CGT Cheminots is calling its members to take action on the same day, with the form of action decided locally by its unions.

What to expect. Only one rail federation has issued a national strike call, so disruption should be more limited than on days when all four SNCF unions strike together, but regional (TER), Transilien and some Intercités services are the most exposed, and local CGT actions may add to it in some regions. SNCF normally publishes its traffic plan 24 to 48 hours before the strike and updates it during the day. RATP and city bus networks are not part of this call.

The public-service strike may also affect schools, town halls and other public offices that day.