The discovery of an unexploded bomb dating back to World War 2 on the tracks outside Paris sparked panic among the French authorities this morning. The railway traffic to and from the city was stopped to assess the security situation, leaving thousands of travellers stranded in Paris and London. This included both local and international passengers since the station served both types of destinations.
RER B suburban train, which runs direct trains between Gare du Nord and Charles de Gaulle airport, said the bomb “dates back to World War II”.
The Gare du Nord station usually sees a heavier rush during the weekend.
Discovery Of Bomb
The bomb was found “in the middle of the tracks”, about 2.5 km from the Gare du Nord station, the busiest railway terminus in France that lies north of Paris. The station serves both regional trains as well as Eurostar trains that link international destinations.
The national SNCF railway company said the bomb was spotted during an overnight maintenance work carried out in Saint Denis, a northern suburb of Paris. Authorities soon halted traffic to and from Paris as cops reached the site to assess and disable the bomb.
Eurostar Suspends Trains
Eurostar, an international high-speed railway service in western Europe, cancelled all its trains leaving from or heading to Paris in a security decision aimed at ensuring the safety of the passengers.
The railway company said that it has “completely halted” the traffic to and from Gare du Nord station, and all trains connecting Paris will be cancelled today, impacting routes to London and Brussels.
Offering an apology for the disruption, it has urged the passengers to change their journey date.
The London-Brussels and London-Amsterdam routes, which do not pass through Paris, are running normally, said Eurostar, which connects major cities in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and the UK.
The passengers impacted by the train cancellations are being given three options: change the date of journey, cancel booking and claim a voucher, or get a refund. The Eurostar app is also crashing for several users due to mass cancellations, reports BBC.
Passengers Irate
The sudden halt of all train services frustrated the passengers who were left stranded with no option to take a train from the country’s busiest railway hub. A massive rush of passengers trying to avail other modes of transport due to the sudden change in plan has also led to chaos in and around the station area.
Photos online showed people queuing up for buses
Corinne Schiavenato, who has been waiting since early morning for a train to Goussainville, north of Paris, said he tried to take the bus but it was packed. Photos online showed people queuing up for buses but not everyone could manage to avail one to their destination.
Another traveller, who was part of a group travelling to Paris from London, said he looked up for flights, but their options were limited.
The country’s transport minister has urged travellers to postpone their trips, and especially avoid the station area.
There have been past incidents of wartime bombs being found near railway tracks in France. In Germany, such discoveries are frequent, with bombs still being found after 80 years since World War 2.
The last time a wartime bomb paralysed rail traffic in France was in 2019. This impacted trains between the Saint-Lazare station and the western suburbs of Paris.