Since 2004, baggage tagging has been mandatory on trains and handwritten coordinates on a suitcase are visible to everyone, sometimes leading to unpleasant surprises.
On June 18, a user shared his bad experience on Twitter. She says that she received a message from a perfectly unknown number saying that she wanted to “meet”. Puzzled, she discovers that her caller was able to get her phone number from the tag attached to her luggage.
To avoid having to submit to this type of inappropriate action, the QR Code label, offered by the SNCF since July 2022, can be an alternative. Originally, this tag was developed by SNCF to combat the explosion in the number of forgotten suitcases: three times more in 2021 than in 2018 and therefore the accumulated delays of the trains.
a million labels
Therefore, the data is only accessible to SNCF agents who have dedicated and secure smartphones. Only they can initiate the contact procedure between the SNCF teams and the baggage owner. Therefore, the QR Code does not work if you travel with another company such as Trenitalia or Renfe.
These tags are available at the dock before boarding or directly from the skipper. Specifically, the traveler scans the QR Code to configure his label with his name, surname and telephone number. Each tag is unique.
If a suitcase is forgotten, the SNCF agent scans the QR code. The operational center is notified immediately and automatically contacts the customer, by phone or SMS.
According to the SNCF, in 2022 some 300,000 QR Code labels were distributed. One million labels were ordered this year. Over time, they will be available in all the main French stations and on board the trains in question, such as TGV INOUI, Ouigo and Intercités.
Source: BFM TV
