French rail operator SNCF says it will start rolling out Covid testing kiosks at five stations from this week.
The company is working with mobile medical testing company Loxamed to install the kiosks at Paris Gare de Lyon and Paris – Est tomorrow, Marseilles Saint Charles and Bordeaux Saint-Jean on 12 November and Rennes on 18 November.
Loxamed’s PCR tests are free of charge but will need to be
booked in advance and are limited to 200 a day. In the mornings, testing will be limited to those showing symptoms or those who have been in contact with positive cases while afternoons will be open to all.
The kiosks will remain in place for at least six months on the station forecourts and will be open daily, except Sunday, from 9am to 5pm.
“SNCF Gares & Connexions has responded positively towards contributing to the increase in testing locations, by proposing station forecourts for the installation of these kiosks. Stations are efficient places to get tested during your daily travels. If these trials are successful, we can envisage increasing the number of kiosks across France, in agreement with the public authorities,” said Marlène Dolveck, director general of SNCF Gares & Connexions.
In early October, SNCF said it was allowing free exchanges and refunds on long-distance tickets until 4 January.