International trains will be canceled next week due to French strike

People who plan to travel abroad by train next week may be affected by the large national strike in France against the reform of the pension system. This will take place on Tuesday, and includes not only train staff, but also employees in other sectors. As a result, many international trains to and from France, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and England will not run on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, a spokesperson for NS International said.

The cancellations include thirteen Eurostar trains that will not run on Tuesday because of the strike. The high-speed train service generally runs to and from Amsterdam, Rotterdam, London, Brussels and Paris.

Many Thalys trains between the Netherlands, France, Belgium and Germany will also be scrapped next week due to “social actions in France and Belgium.” From Monday evening to Wednesday, almost all trains are canceled or terminated in Brussels instead of continuing to Paris.

People with a ticket for a train that is not running can rebook or cancel their journey free of charge, according to the NS International website. The spokesperson said that the rail company is using its app and the website’s travel planner to inform passengers on time. It is advising travelers to look for other means of transport.

The labor actions are part of a nationwide general strike in France called for March 7. Unions have warned in a joint statement about plans to “shut down all sectors.” The French are striking against the planned increase in the retirement age from 62 to 64. Previous demonstrations have caused delayed and canceled flights from airports in the country, along with other issues.

Additionally, train staff in Germany planned to go on strike on Friday, March 3. Dutch passengers were not necessarily affected by this, according to the NS International spokesperson. “Staff on the long-distance trains from the Deutsche Bahn (DB) are not on strike, but people may have to deal with strikes by regional transport companies.” In several federal states, people demanded a better collective labor agreement when going on strike.