Euro 2016: France sweats on rail and air strikes, with less than 48 hours to go

France has mobilised 90,000 police and private guards to provide security at Euro 2016

Supporters face disruption if an agreement cannot be reached (Getty)

The railway station for the Stade de France, where Euro 2016 kicks off in less than 48 hours, was packed with hundreds of frustrated commuters on Wednesday, when trains were cancelled as part of the industrial action which threatens the start of the tournament.

Scores of trains were cancelled and confusion remains for those looking to travel across France today remain under threat, with unions yet to decide whether to accept an offer by the SNCF rail operator to end the dispute which has stretched to eight days. Saint Denis, where France face Romania on Friday, was severely affected.

Neither is there any sign of a breakthrough in attempts to stave off a four-day Air France strike planned from Saturday which would also affect many of the two million foreign visitors -500,000 from the UK – who are arriving here to watch the championships.

The apartment of Labour Minister Myriam El Khomri was the seat of protests yesterday and there was also a protest rally in the Gare du Nord station, the departure point for Eurostar trains to Britain and other services to northern Europe.

At stake in the dispute is prime minister Manuel Valls’ attempts to introduce greater flexibility into France’s labyrinthine labour code. President Francois Hollande has refused to back down in the face of the Confederation Generale du Travail (CGT) union. He says the reforms are necessary to bring down unemployment and make it easier for companies to take on new staff and release them in a downturn.

The CGT wants the Socialist government to scrap the labour reforms, which unions say are stacked in favour of employers and will chip away at job security.

Meanwhile, there was controversy and division over whether Uefa’s banned president Michel Platini can be invited to the tournament. The governing body said at a pre-tournament press conference that it had been informed by Fifa ethics judge Hans-Joachim Eckert that Platini can now be invited to its showpiece competition.

Security will be tight for Euro 2016 (Getty)

Fifa's ethics body had previously indicated the sanction would only allow the banned Uefa president to attend matches as an ordinary fan and no longer mix with the high-ranking officials in stadiums. But after seeking a clarification of the rules, European soccer's

But a Fifa ethics committee spokesperson said last night that Platini could not be present in an official capacity. "Mr. Platini is currently banned from all football-related activities (sport, business and other),” the spokesman said. “He is not able to perform any activity that could create the appearance that he is still acting as a football official. Mr. Platini may, however, attend matches of the Uefa Euro 2016 in a personal capacity."

There was a modest security presence on Wednesday around the Stade de France stadium, which was at the centre of one of the terror attacks last November. The government is preparing to launch a free smartphone app which will warn visitors of any "major crisis", including suspected attacks according to their location.

France has mobilised 90,000 police and private guards to provide security at Euro 2016.

A new perimeter fence has been erected around the Stade de France, which will also host the final on July 10, to allow increased searches of supporters.