Traffic at the Gare de l’Est in Paris will be interrupted ” all day “ Tuesday, January 24 and “very disturbed” Wednesday following a “arson on electric cables” in Seine-et-Marne. “A dozen SNCF Réseau agents are at work to repair as quickly as possible”, according to a spokeswoman. The Meaux prosecutor’s office has announced the opening of an investigation for willful degradation and endangering the lives of others.
The TGVs as well as part of the TER and trains of the P line of the Transilien have not been able to enter or leave the station since Tuesday morning. The traffic of the RER E, the southern branch of the P line and the TER connecting Paris, Troyes and Mulhouse circulate for their part normally, specified the SNCF.
On Wednesday the traffic will be “very disturbed”departing from or arriving at the Gare de l’Est, notifies the railway company in a status report at the end of the afternoon. “There will be one in three trains on the TGV Est line, one in two trains for Transilien on line P (Meaux and Château-Thierry axes)”, specifies the SNCF. The service will be “adapted” for the TER Grand-Est with “services to Ile-de-France stations”. “We are already inviting travelers who can to postpone their planned trips tomorrow”recommends the railway company.
“Traces of Gasoline”
The Minister of Transport said Tuesday at midday “not yet able to guarantee” a resumption of train traffic on Wednesday. Clément Beaune, who spoke on the spot in front of several journalists, denounced “a scandalous act of malice that must be punished and condemned”and referred to a “rather exceptional incident, very serious”. He mentioned “traces of gasoline” and a fire “in two targeted points”. “I regret the impact for many people”he said in the morning on Franceinfo.
SNCF had reported earlier in the morning of a “malicious act” in a signal box which caused the total interruption, on departure and arrival, of TGV and TER traffic, as well as of the P line of the Transilien. “Around 3 a.m., a cage containing the electrical wiring of the SNCF traffic signs was opened, and set on fire. An SNCF agent called the police around 4:30 a.m., a police source told Agence France-Presse. The Transilien line P Twitter page reports“a fire in a technical room in the Vaires sector” (Seine et Marne).
❌#InfoTrafic #LigneP 1/2 Following an act of vandalism (fire on electrical cables in a te… https://t.co/1UjSptijKz
Some TGVs diverted to the Gare du Nord
“This is an unacceptable act of vandalism”, denounced Anne-Marie Palmier, director of the Ile-de-France production area of SNCF Réseau during a press briefing held in the middle of the morning. No less than 48 electrical harnesses, or about 600 cables, were burned. Insofar as they make it possible to give information to signal boxes, “security is no longer guaranteed”she added, adding that the company had filed a complaint.
“We have put in place an information [pour les] travelers on all of our sites, red vests [des volontaires chargés d’orienter les voyageurs] have been deployed. Travelers who had a reservation were informed”said Christophe Fanichet, CEO of SNCF Voyageurs.
A few TGVs have been diverted to the Gare du Nord, very close to the Gare de l’Est, where some 41 million passengers pass each year according to SNCF figures dating from 2019. It serves the Grand-Est as well as international destinations such as Germany and Luxembourg.