France is a vast European country; it is no surprise then that the French government has invested extensively in building and developing its rail network to make it an affordable means of travel for its people. The train is popularly chosen as the mode of travel because it is cheap, comfortable, and most are punctual. Modern trains come with a WiFi facility, comfortable seating, proper lighting, clean washrooms, and upper decks.
The French Railways are fast and efficient, with a large number of high-speed trains in operation across the length and breadth of the country. Intercity trains connect the major cities and towns, and others reach the rural hinterlands.
The TGV trains connect major cities in France and Europe; Intercities cover routes between Orleans, Amiens, Bordeaux, Lyon, Caen, Troyes, Reims, Toulouse, and Paris. They also link regions like Nantes, Bordeaux, and Lyons-Nantes-Tours. The TER trains serve rural France.
The SNCF is the national state-owned railway company of France. If you were ever to lose your stuff on an SNCF train, here’s what to do.
Declare Luggage Loss at Lost Property Office
Approach the Lost Property office at the arrival station, and speak to the staff regarding your loss. You may be asked to fill up a form declaring luggage loss with complete details like your name and contact information, the train name and ticket number by which you traveled, where you fear losing your bag, description of your items, et al.
If there’s a long queue ahead of you, worry not. You can either file a missing report online or may approach customer services via the phone. You can try calling the Lost Property office at 0892 353 535 or 3635. Please remember to leave your email ID with them to receive a confirmation from them that they have lodged the complaint.
Authorities will begin the search immediately for at least a month. In most cases, however, SNCF agents are successful in returning the belongings to their rightful owners in 24 hours. Once found, they enter the details on their computer database from where owners can identify their bags.
If they successfully trace your bags, they will inform you via email. You may collect your belongings as per their instructions either from the station from where your bag was retrieved/delivered, or you can have someone drop it at home for you at some extra charge. You will also need to provide them with your identity documents at the time of claiming your bag/s.
On the other hand, if you fail to claim your belongings within the stipulated period of one month, the bag/s will be handed over to the Administration des Domaines, transferred to a Public Utility Association, or destroyed (especially if they contained perishables or dangerous products).
Submit Missing Baggage Form Online
Alternatively, the Lost Property Department at SNCF Gares and Connexions can help with your luggage loss. You may also click on the link and fill up the required details online and submit the form asap.
It is in French. However, you may take someone’s help to translate it for you if you are a foreigner and have no knowledge of the language. The details require you to give your name, email address, telephone number, postal code, and province to which you belong. Hit ‘Submit’.
You may try their call center number to register your plaint with a call center agent by dialing 0892353535 or 3635 . They are operational all seven days of the week between 8 in the morning and 8 in the evening.
Seek Help on Social Media
Social media is for you to share your distress story in real-time and for authorities to sit up and take notice instantly. They have staff and professionals looking after their social media handles to steer clear of negative publicity like negligence or indifference in a bid to improve their services and make them top-notch for their customers.
Complaints and concerns posted on social media are promptly taken care of. Reach out to their pages on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for someone to revert to you immediately.
Conclusion
Baggage tags are available at all the stations in France. It is important to label your bag/s clearly with your name and contact details in the event of a loss so that less time is lost in locating and returning the bag to you. It is important to mark your bags distinctly for safety and security reasons. Similar-looking bags could be easily exchanged or lost in a swarm of people at the stations. Better safe than sorry!
