Commuters wait in line to take the train at Gare de Lyon in Paris. (AFP)

France's state-owned railway company halted more than half of its trips due to a nationwide strike by rail conductors.

The strike left passengers stranded or scrambling for alternative transportation — and posed the most significant test yet of President Emmanuel Macron's economic agenda.

The drastic service cuts were imposed by the French train operator SNCF as nearly 10,000 conductors went on strike Saturday, demanding better working conditions.

"It is a strike that we did not see coming, neither we nor the unions," said CEO of the SNCF Jean-Pierre Farandou said as quoted by Swissinfo on Thursday.

It is worth noting that the three-day strike will reportedly last until Sunday evening. The cancellations have had a significant impact on rail traffic between France and Switzerland, with only one out of every three trains spotted running.

Trains to Switzerland and Italy were cut in half, trains to Germany were cut in half, and all trains to Spain were canceled, as per the SCNF.

The walkouts, according to union organizers, are intended to call attention to restrictions requiring members to work three weekends per month and sleep away from home for more than ten nights per month.

Before the walkout, the conductors' union met with management twice but made no progress. Other unions rallied in solidarity, filing strike notices for both the Christmas and New Year's holidays in order to put pressure on the SNCF.

Meanwhile, SNCF management announced next week that it would have "new discussions" with trade unions and workers.

This comes after France has lately suffered from major disruptions after unions called a nationwide transport strike, which sparked fuel shortages throughout the country, most notably in northern and central France and the Paris region.