regle-sncf-temps-installation-15-minutes-train

You have 15 minutes to get settled on the train, not a minute more!

undefined undefined 19 septembre 2024 undefined 13h00

undefined undefined 19 septembre 2024 undefined 14h34

The Editor

This measure is causing quite a bit of buzz, but it’s not really new. SNCF travelers have a maximum of 15 minutes to get settled on the train, or they risk losing their seats.

We can imagine that reading such a title has made you especially curious, especially if you regularly travel on the railways all across France. However, it's quite true: SNCF requires travelers to settle into their seats within a maximum delay of 15 minutes after the train departs. Shared by Que Choisir, this rule has been noted in the general sales conditions of SNCF Voyageurs and specifies that “failing to claim a reserved seat within 15 minutes after the train departs from the station indicated on the ticket may result in loss of the reserved seat, and more generally, loss of any seated place.” ».


A measure that's not so new

This measure applies to the TGVs and Intercities. While it may come as a surprise, it isn't really new: “There is no novelty. The practice has always been the same and does not change. : train conductors often re-seat travelers without a seat to an unoccupied seat after the train departs, allowing passengers to travel in the best conditions », specifies the railway company in a Figaro. On his X account, TGV-Intercités director Alain Krakovitch states that this measure is « a European directive, not SNCF, which exists across all carriers ». It would allow, in particular, to offer a seat to a person without one, « a seat reserved by someone who actually didn’t take the train », he adds. 


Several New Rules Introduced by SNCF 

This 2024 school year, SNCF is making quite the splash! Since September 15th, a new regulation regarding luggage has come into effect. Every traveler is now allowed a maximum of three bags, including two cabin suitcases and one carry-on bag. If these rules aren’t followed, fines may be imposed. Another exciting change to look forward to: starting from January 1, 2025, holiday vouchers that can be used to pay for part or all of train tickets will only be accepted in digital format, and no longer in paper form. On average, these vouchers are used by 5 million people, as revealed by L'Union.