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French trains (TGV) assistance's organisation


Rail (Train)
France
French trains (TGV)

” Firstable the trains’ organization (SNCF) requires disabled people to ask 2 days in advance in order to obtain the assistance to get into the train… because the French trains (TGV) are not freely accessible, we need special help with special services to use lifts or ramps to get into the trains.
When they finally agree to assist me to take a train (they have decided for me at which hour i could take my train…) they were not even sure that the arrival station would assist me to go out the train. I first had to buy my tickets and then ask the arrival assistance service if they could help me… and they say “”we don’t know yet””…
Others things that we are used to when we are disabled French trains users,
we have to come in the station more than 30 minutes before the trains departures if not they don’t assist us to get into the train, even if everything is planned…
we cannot go to the toilets on tgv’s trains, they are too small… we cannot go to the train’s bar…
in fact, the SNCF tries to use an European regulation to justify their toilets’ too small size, and they even refuse to transport people whose wheelchair is considered as too big”