Until now, the SNCF had only experienced two major strikes during the Christmas holidays, in 1986 and in 2019.
ADVERTISEMENTSome 200,000 people will not be able to take the train this Christmas weekend in France after ticket inspectors decided to go ahead with a massive strike.
The SNCF - France’s railway state operator - cancelled a third of its scheduled trains as millions of people began their festive family gatherings.
This has provoked a lot of anger and frustration, especially on social media.
Some Twitter users have been claiming that these strikes happen every year during the holiday season in France.
However, the last strike during the Christmas period was in 2019 due to the pension reform proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron.
The one before that dates back to 1986 - more than 35 years ago - a very rare situation says the French newspaper La Croix.
That’s because most of the time, the unions and the SNCF manage to negotiate a deal right before the holidays.
But where does this impression come from? Since 1947, there hasn’t been one single year without a train strike in France, according to SNCF data.