Orange with 6Medias, published on Sunday, August 14, 2022 at 11:50 am
The union castigates the state of certain Ouigo, in particular between Paris and Lyon. The company ensures that the problems “have already been resolved or are in the process of being resolved”.
The findings are overwhelming.
According to the CGT rail workers, cockroaches and maggots have been spotted in the Ouigo 774 train, especially in car number eight. “The train was taken out for a few days, but not long enough to deal with the problem in depth, and put back into circulation”laments Abdelkader Bensadoun, secretary of the CGT railway workers of Lyon Perrache, questioned by Rue89Lyon.
On the Ouigo side, the situation is settled, provides the communication service: “The train was put back into circulation at the beginning of August following inspection and it is subject to daily surveillance. There are no more pests”. Problem, Rue89Lyon relayed images dating from August 4, testifying to the presence of maggots and cockroaches in car 7, on the carpet and the walls. Two SNCF agents even decided not to board that same day, exercising their right of withdrawal.
“For air conditioning, the reliability rate is currently 99%”
In question ? Overuse of Ouigo trains, as well as the absence of emergency trains, according to the CGT. “To ensure maintenance, at least six are needed in reserve: three for the Atlantic part and three for the South-East part. As well as more human resources, in particular for maintenance which is chronically understaffed”, confides Abdelkader Bensadoun to Rue89Lyon. But Ouigo ensures that three reserve trains have been put in place this summer, in order to cope with crowded trains.
Another problem, according to the CGT, the condemnation of toilets, clogged, or regular breakdowns of air conditioning. Difficult conditions in the middle of a heat wave. “For air conditioning, the reliability rate is currently 99%. […] As for the toilets, in a Ouigo train, there are eight of them, at the top and at the bottom, so that leaves alternative solutions if some are closed”nuance the communication service of Ouigo, which denounces a press release “which only fuels a controversy”. “The problems have been identified, are already resolved or in the process of being resolved”assures the company.