French commuters today were hit by a major train strike against proposed reforms to contain the rail sector's soaring debt and also a taxi drivers' protest over rival car services.
The 24-hour rail strike began last evening, but its main impact was felt today with train links to other countries also hit.
Trade unions behind the protest extended the strike by another day after a meeting.
It is now due to end tomorrow evening, unless union representatives and transport minister Frederic Cuvillier reach an agreement after talks late today.
The state rail operator SNCF said only one high-speed TGV train out of two or three was running and regional trains were also affected. But it added that traffic would be slightly better tomorrow despite the strike.
In the busy Paris region, services were down to a third on average. The affected trains included ones running from the suburbs through Paris to the city's Charles de Gaulle airport.
Eurostar trains to and from London ran normally, while three out of four Brussels- and Amsterdam-bound Thalys trains were operational.
Trains to Germany were unaffected, but only one of two trains to Spain ran.
A company official at Paris's Austerlitz station said only 10 trains featured on the arrivals and departures list at 9:00 am against around 45 on normal days.
The action takes place just one week before France's lower house of parliament examines proposed reforms aiming to tackle the rail sector's soaring debt.
Cuvillier yesterday said the sector's debt stood at more than USD 54 billion, and would likely soar to 80 billion euros by 2025 if nothing was done to stem it.
The unions which called the strike, however, feel that the measures included in the reform will not help rein in the debt.
The problems for commuters were exacerbated by a protest by taxi drivers in several European capitals, including Paris and other French cities, against what they see as unfair and illegal competition from app-using car services such as Uber which have shaken up the taxi industry.
