Overview
- SNCF announced on Thursday that it would suspend 71 Intercités services from midday June 18 through the following Monday to prevent air‑conditioning failures on affected trains.
- The reductions target midday trains on central and southern routes including Paris‑Orléans‑Limoges‑Toulouse, Paris‑Clermont‑Ferrand and the Bordeaux‑Marseille Transversale Sud.
- SNCF says the older Corail rolling stock, introduced in 1975, has climate‑control systems that are less robust in very high temperatures and could fail on long runs.
- Passengers on canceled services can exchange or receive refunds free of charge and the company advises customers with fragility or health risks to postpone travel when possible.
- The move is presented as a preventive, weather‑driven tactic tied to orange heat alerts in 26 départements and reflects growing operational strain on aging fleets during extreme heat.