SNCF Réseau confirmed that major track-renewal works around Dijon have forced a total shutdown of TGV INOUI and TGV Lyria services between Paris-Gare-de-Lyon and Lyon, Basel and Zurich from 10:00 Saturday, 19 September, until 17:30 Sunday, 20 September. The interruption also affects through services to Milan that use the high-speed line south of Dijon. Early-morning trains on Saturday will operate as scheduled, but passengers booked on mid-morning or afternoon services are being offered either a full refund or re-routing via Strasbourg. From the Swiss side, SBB has arranged a limited coach shuttle between Basel and Mulhouse to connect with TER regional trains toward Paris-Est, adding roughly two hours to the journey. For multinational firms with headquarters split between Paris and Geneva—or pharmaceutical clusters around Basel—the closure comes at an inconvenient time. Corporates have been advised to switch executives onto the Paris–Geneva air shuttle or to use remote-meeting platforms over the weekend. Freight forwarders moving temperature-controlled goods by TGV La Poste have postponed shipments until Monday. SNCF says the Dijon works are part of a €620 million programme to replace ageing switches and catenary systems on the Rhine-Rhône axis. Similar weekend-long closures are scheduled for 26–27 September, 3–4 October and 10–11 October. Mobility managers should therefore review autumn travel calendars, especially for employees commuting weekly between France and Switzerland. Although the operator promises normal service after 17:30 Sunday, travellers on the first post-works trains should anticipate residual delays while signalling systems are re-validated.
Source: Trans Europe Infos
