Tip to limit luggage theft on French trains (and SNCF approves)
It comes as trains remain busy during the summer holiday period, increasing the chance of opportunistic thefts
Luggage racks on trains may be far from seats, making it harder to keep an eye on your bags
YuriFineart/Shutterstock
French train operator SNCF has said it approves of people securing their suitcases to train luggage racks as one increasingly popular method to prevent suitcase theft on busy trains.
Larger bags must go in luggage racks on trains (as opposed to overhead), but this leaves them open to theft, as most seats do not offer a direct view of the racks. With trains busier in the summer months, opportunistic thieves may take the chance to steal any unsecured bags.
Train company SNCF does not publish official figures on bag thefts, saying the data is “confidential”, but estimates suggest there are up to 400 such incidents on TGV and TER trains per month.
Bag thefts tend to happen in stations, when the train stops for a short while. Thieves may board the train and quickly take bags from the dedicated racks before the owner notices.
In one high-profile incident, the sister-in-law of Qatar’s Emir had 11 Hermès-branded luxury bags stolen from a luggage rack on a French TGV travelling from Cannes to Paris.
Read also: 11 Hermès bags stolen from relative of Qatar Emir on French TGV
It comes after Austrian train company ÖBB fitted its new RailJet trains with integrated luggage rack padlocks. The padlocks include steel extension leads that loop around bags, and are secured by a PIN code or an NFC chip on a smartphone.
Passengers in France can buy similar luggage padlocks fairly cheaply (from around €10 upwards), to secure their bags and help to prevent thefts. Very determined thieves could still cut through these locks with steel cutters, but the chains act as a significant extra deterrent to opportunistic criminals.
Tracking devices
Passengers can also use tracking devices such as the Apple AirTag or Samsung SmartTag.. These are around the size of a two-euro coin, and can - with a connected smartphone app - be used to locate an object in real time without using the internet (instead, they use Bluetooth devices in the area).
This means that if a bag is being stolen, is taken, or is lost (or misplaced by an airline), the passenger can locate it.
Read also: Baggage thefts on French trains on rise: travellers use GPS trackers
Read also: Station bag thief caught after laptop inside tracks him to French city
What is SNCF’s policy on stolen bags?
SNCF takes no responsibility for lost or stolen luggage on its network (unless you are using SNCF’s luggage transport service directly, see below).
SNCF states: "[SNCF] assumes no responsibility for hand luggage, which remains in the sole custody of the passenger even when it is placed in spaces provided for this purpose, at the end or in the middle of the carriage, unless the passenger can prove that the carrier is at fault.
“If such proof is provided, the amount of compensation to be paid by SNCF may not exceed €360,” states SNCF’s Voyageurs’ terms and conditions.
Carriers - air, train, road, or sea - are only liable for luggage if the suitcase is ‘checked in’ and handed over to the carrier itself (such as an airline hold luggage).
SNCF advises passengers to label luggage with their surname, first name, and address. Putting your telephone number on the bag is also mandatory, it says.
The operator does offer a baggage transport service on inOui TGVs (at extra cost per bag). This could be an option if you have valuable or bulky luggage, are travelling far, struggle to transport your own luggage, and/or want to avoid theft from luggage racks.
SNCF then has responsibility to transport your items safely from A to B, and must act if the bag is stolen or lost, as laid out in the contract terms.
What can I do if my bag is stolen from a train?
SNCF does operate CCTV on board trains and platforms, and there are rail security agents on some trains. These could help police identify thieves in the event of a complaint.
If a bag is stolen, the traveller’s best bet is to turn to any travel insurance policies they hold, such as through their bank card, or taken out for that specific trip. To claim, you usually have to report the theft to police and show proof of this.
However, most policies do not cover theft in the event of what they could say is “inattention or negligence on the part of the policyholder”, which could be argued in the event that the passenger places their luggage on a train rack far away and out of sight from their seat.
