French train traffic disrupted by strikes

PARIS – Residents and tourists travelling through France face rail strikes which authorities say have led to the cancellation of some 40 per cent of the country’s high-speed trains.

France’s SNCF rail company says three out of five of the country’s TGV bullet trains were still operating Friday amid strikes by the General Confederation of Labor and Rail South unions.

Many intercity and slower-speed trains have also been cancelled. In the Paris region, two out of five suburban trains were cancelled Friday.

In Paris, flooding also caused disruption. Rising waters forced the suspension of the RER C commuter line, which runs along the Seine River.

Industrial disputes have bedeviled France since the government began pushing through a disputed jobs reform law.

The capital’s subway was little affected by the strikes or the weather.