Storm Austen: no trains in Normandy on Friday 23 October. What happens to your ticket, and what to do in high winds
SNCF has called off all rail traffic in Normandy ahead of the storm, along with some lines in Hauts-de-France and Brittany. Here is what the rules guarantee when a train is cancelled because of weather, and what Météo-France advises in a windstorm.
What happened. SNCF announced on Wednesday 21 October that, because of Storm Austen, no trains will run anywhere on the Normandy rail network on Friday 23 October. Météo-France forecasts gusts above 110 km/h inland, reaching 130 km/h or more in places on the coast, with the wind picking up on Thursday evening, 22 October. Service will come back gradually from Saturday afternoon, 24 October, but only after the tracks have been checked. Inspection trains will go out first, crews will clear branches and other debris, and track or overhead lines will be repaired where needed. The exact restart time therefore depends on how much damage they find.
Normandy is not the only region affected. In Hauts-de-France several regional lines are shut on Friday, including Amiens – Rouen and Creil – Beauvais, and from midday Paris – Beauvais and Paris – Laon close too. In Brittany a number of TER BreizhGo lines are suspended until Friday noon. The regional TER websites carry the full, up-to-date lists.
Why trains are cancelled in advance. SNCF says the decision is about the safety of passengers and staff, and above all about not having a train stranded on open track in the middle of a storm. Cancelling ahead is inconvenient, but it gives people time to act: move the trip, get the ticket refunded, or make arrangements with an employer or family.
Your ticket
- SNCF Voyageurs has relaxed its exchange and refund conditions for cancelled trains. The request has to be made before the train's departure time, through the channel where the ticket was bought.
- SNCF advises travelling earlier, on Thursday 22 October, or moving the trip to Saturday afternoon, seats permitting.
- The general rules are on the service-public page «Comment obtenir le remboursement de vos billets de train ?» (published 25 July 2025). When a train is cancelled, passengers are entitled to a full refund, including the return ticket on a round trip. When a train is cancelled or leaves more than an hour late, passengers can take another train at no extra cost or give up the journey. The refund is due within one month of the request, which can be made on the site where the ticket was bought (SNCF Connect, for example), by phoning 36 35, or at a station ticket office.
- What not to expect. The rules normally grant compensation for late arrival: 25% of the fare for a delay of 1 to 2 hours, and 50% beyond 2 hours. That compensation does not apply when the delay comes from extraordinary circumstances, and the rules list extreme weather among them. So a cancelled train is refunded, but there is no late-arrival compensation for a storm.
- Regional trains. TER refund conditions vary by region, and a TER ticket is valid for one day. To move a trip, go through the purchase channel and check the conditions on your region's TER site.
What to do in high winds
When it issues a wind warning, Météo-France publishes safety advice. At orange level it advises protecting your home and anything outdoors that the wind could carry off, following announcements from the authorities, travelling as little as possible, watching out for falling trees and objects, staying off roofs, and running a generator only outside the house. At red level the advice is stricter: close doors, windows and shutters, do not use the car, and stay at home. Météo-France warns that strong winds can cut power and phone lines for long periods and block roads, especially minor roads through woodland.
When this post was prepared, Friday's warning level had not yet been issued. Météo-France publishes the next day's map on vigilance.meteofrance.fr from 6 a.m.
If you cannot get to work. We covered what the rules say about that on 18 October, in our post on the bad weather in the Gard and Hérault.
Where to check: ter.sncf.com (Normandie, Hauts-de-France and Bretagne pages), SNCF Connect, and vigilance.meteofrance.fr. Decisions may change with the forecast, so check your trip before you set off.
The event was reported by France 3 Normandie and franceinfo. The ticket rules come from service-public.gouv.fr and the wind advice from Météo-France.
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