International travellers using Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) this weekend will need to set the alarm earlier than usual. A local labour dispute is cutting RER B frequencies on the line’s northern branch between Gare du Nord and both CDG and Mitry-Claye on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 November, with only three trains out of four scheduled. South of Paris, service remains almost normal, but the operator warns that platforms will be busier and that luggage space will be tight. The RER B is the only direct rail link between central Paris and CDG, handling around 90,000 airport-bound passengers on a typical weekend. Business travellers connecting to early long-haul departures are advised to allow an extra 30–40 minutes, or consider the 9517 express bus from Saint-Denis Pleyel (metro line 14) as a backup. Taxis and ride-hailing services will face heavier demand, especially during Saturday’s city-centre demonstrations. The walk-out is the second in as many weekends and comes against the backdrop of wider industrial unrest in France’s public sector, with a cross-industry strike already announced for Tuesday 17 November. RATP has not disclosed the exact sticking points, but unions are pressing for wage indexation in the face of inflation and for guarantees on upcoming automation projects. For mobility managers, the disruption underscores the need for multi-modal contingency planning. Companies with Monday-morning meetings in Paris are urging assignees to fly in early or route via Orly, which is served by tram T7 and the Orlyval-RER B chain that is currently unaffected. Airlines are updating minimum connection times in their internal reservation systems, and several travel management companies (TMCs) have pushed real-time alerts to mobile apps. Looking ahead, the operator warns that evening closures on the CDG branch will resume from 16 November to 11 December after 22:45, and a full shutdown is already programmed for 21-22 November to accommodate engineering work.
Source: Sortiraparis
