SNCF TRAFFIC. This Friday, July 26, many TGV and Ouigo trains are delayed or canceled due to a nationwide attack on SNCF main lines. Which trains are delayed or canceled? Which train is still running? We take stock.
Latest updates
14:00 – Traffic begins to resume towards Montparnasse and Bordeaux
“Traffic is starting to pick up again,” Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete announced on Friday afternoon, particularly at the Montparnasse and Bordeaux stations. “One in three trains” will be running “by this afternoon,” he added.
13:41 – 25% of Eurostar cancelled between Paris and London all weekend
Nearly 25% of trains between Paris and London are cancelled this Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Eurostar has announced. Disruptions are expected “until Monday morning,” according to the Franco-British company. In addition to the cancelled trains, those that are running are doing so at a reduced speed, Eurostar claims, which “extends the journey time by around an hour and a half.”
1:23 p.m. – Montparnasse train station at a standstill
Following the acts of vandalism committed last night, “the most affected station is the Gare Montparnasse” in Paris, stated Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete. No trains are running until at least 1 p.m. and all the display boards are currently off. Indeed, “the Gare du Nord and the Gare de l’Est are a little less affected.”
13:05 – Repairing the damage will take 2 days, according to the CEO of SNCF
At a press conference, SNCF CEO Jean-Pierre Farandou explained the saboteurs’ modus operandi during the night from Thursday to Friday. The acts of vandalism perpetrated consisted of “burning cables” that can contain nearly 50 wires. “They set fire to cable passages, in gutters where many cables run that control the motors of the points and the signals, it’s fiber optics so a huge number of combined cables.” According to the SNCF CEO, the SNCF teams will need two whole days to repair the damage “cable by cable, wire by wire.” “It’s very meticulous work, high-level experts will be mobilized,” he added.
12:56 – Bomb alert at Gare du Nord
A bomb alert is currently taking place at the Gare du Nord in Paris, according to a police source who spoke to our colleagues at Libération. According to their information, “a threatening call was received regarding two bombs” shortly before 11:30 this Friday morning. A security perimeter has been set up and police officers have discovered a suspicious package on the tracks.
12:52 – Prime Minister announces “traffic plan” this Friday afternoon
Outgoing Prime Minister Gabriel Attal announced a “new traffic plan” in the afternoon, which is currently being prepared. It will propose “alternative solutions” but “delays on a significant number of routes this weekend.”
12:47 – TGV and Ouigo traffic disrupted “at least all weekend”
TGV and Ouigo rail traffic is heavily impacted this Friday, July 26, 2024 due to “deliberate fires and theft of cables in drawing rooms”, impacting nearly 800,000 passengers according to the authorities. “We are diverting some trains on the classic line but we will have to cancel a large number of them”, announced the SNCF in a press release, specifying that “this situation should last at least all weekend while repairs are carried out”.
12:35 – Investigation opened for damage and criminal association by the Paris prosecutor’s office
Following last night’s massive attack targeting SNCF TGVs, an investigation has been opened for damage and criminal association by the Paris prosecutor’s office. A “cable artery” set on fire on the SNCF installations in Vandières in Meurthe-et-Moselle, which is currently paralyzing TGV Est traffic, was photographed by our colleagues at France Bleu.
12:29 – TGV trains to Bordeaux and La Rochelle are the most affected
Trains to Bordeaux and La Rochelle are particularly affected by these acts of vandalism committed during the night. Only 2 trains per hour and per direction run between Paris and Aquitaine. Between Paris, Brittany and the Pays de la Loire, only three trains per hour and per direction are in circulation.
12:19 – No Ouigo in circulation at Lille-Flandres station
SNCF invites travelers “to postpone their trip” to Lille-Flandres station, announcing an “estimated resumption time of Saturday, July 29 at 6 a.m.” While some may be diverted, with journeys “lasting 2 hours 30 instead of one hour,” others are simply canceled. This is the case for all Ouigo trains that were scheduled to run at Lille-Flandres station.
12:05 – What traffic on the Parisian RATP lines?
The Parisian RATP transport network is not affected by the acts of sabotage that occurred this night from Thursday 25 to Friday 26 July, targeting only several TGV lines. However, RATP traffic is significantly modified due to the Paris Olympic Games ceremony. See all the RATP traffic disruptions for this Friday 26 July in our file below.
12:00 – An act of malice prevented in Yonne on the LGV Sud-Est
In Vergigny, in Yonne, on the South-East high-speed line, “an attempted malicious act was prevented by SNCF agents who caused several individuals to flee” in the middle of the night at around 1:15 a.m. at a TGV signaling center, a source told L’Yonne républicaine.
11:55 – Transiliens in circulation, except on line N
On the Île-de-France network, while all Transilien lines are operating normally, traffic is disrupted on the entire N line this Friday following a catenary incident in the Vanves sector. “Trains will be direct between Paris-Montparnasse and Versailles-Chantier in this direction only. Customers bound for Vanves, Clamart, Bellevue, Meudon, Sèvres, Chaville and Viroflay stations are invited to go to Versailles Chantiers station and take a train in the other direction,” announced the Transilien website.
11:50 – TGV traffic disrupted all weekend, what disruptions are announced?
The Minister Delegate for Transport Patrice Vergriete spoke of “very serious consequences” on rail traffic all weekend, the time to carry out the necessary repairs following the acts of vandalism committed last night. The traffic situation predicts one train in two on the North, East and Brittany routes and one train in four in the southwest (Bordeaux) on this weekend of holiday departures and the opening of the Paris Olympic Games. “We are diverting some trains on the classic line but we will have to cancel a large number of them,” announced the SNCF management in a press release.
11:35 – No TGV trains until 1 p.m. at Montparnasse station, and this weekend?
At Montparnasse station, if the SNCF management announced that no trains were running until at least 1 p.m., there is a risk of blockage all weekend. “There is a risk of not seeing any trains leave Paris all weekend,” a member of the SNCF announced to Libération. “Exchanges and refunds are free of charge,” the SNCF management specified. Only trains heading to the Ile-de-France region are maintained at the station.
Faced with attacks on its network on the night of Thursday to Friday, the SNCF is facing a major crisis with the cancellation or significant delay of many trains this Friday, July 26, on the eve of the biggest holiday departure weekend of the summer and a few hours before the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games. Several fires targeted strategic railway junctions but a few lines were spared. This is the case of the TGV Sud-Est line where a malicious act was foiled according to a source from the Ministry of Transport, interviewed by Le Parisien.
Many trains are running late this Friday morning at stations, as is the case at Montparnasse where “there will be no traffic until 1 p.m.” on TGV trains, announced Christophe Fanichet, CEO of SNCF Voyageurs. SNCF management announced that the disruptions will continue this weekend. See below the traffic forecasts by route:
What traffic disruptions will there be on SNCF TGV trains this Friday, July 26, 2024?
This Friday, July 26, the day of the Paris Olympic Games ceremony, the TGV and Ouigo trains are seriously disrupted, suffering major delays and cancellations. However, TER traffic is not affected, as is that of the Transiliens and RER trains operated entirely or partly by the SNCF. Here are the detailed SNCF traffic forecasts for the day of July 26:
- TGV disruptions on the northern axis : this Friday, July 26, traffic is interrupted between Paris and Lille on the very high-speed TGV line and very seriously disrupted for other trains. For the TGV and Ouigo that are running, “significant delays and route changes are to be expected”. Normal traffic is not expected to resume before Monday, July 29.
- TV West disruptions : Traffic was severely disrupted after an attack on the TGV Atlantique line on Friday, July 26. The Paris-Tours and Paris-Le Mans services have been cancelled. Normal traffic is not expected to resume before the weekend and is estimated for Monday, July 29.
- TGV disruptions on the eastern axis : targeted in particular at the Pagny-sur-Moselle interchange, the TGV Est line is seeing its traffic very seriously disrupted and significant delays are expected. The only exception is that trains to Reims and Châlons en Champagne are not affected and are running normally.
- TGV disruptions on the South-East axis : traffic normal this Friday, July 26. A source at the Ministry of Transport told Le Parisien that an act had been foiled during the night.
What is the traffic like on TER and Intercités?
The TER lines are not affected and traffic is normal on all its lines, with the exception of the summer works planned and posted at the station. On the other hand, we can expect some disruptions and delays linked to unusual traffic regulations. The SNCF explains that on the Centre-Val de Loire lines, trains “will be diverted to the classic line with longer journey times throughout the day. Cancellations are also to be expected.”
Passengers on cancelled TGV and Intercités trains will receive the information via email or SMS (provided they provided their contact details when booking). It is advisable to check the information by entering your train number on the SNCF website.
Where can I follow SNCF traffic forecasts?
SNCF users can quickly check the traffic status and find out if a particular train has been cancelled or is running late. For information on TGVs, the telephone number available is 0 805 90 36 35. To track traffic on all major and medium-sized lines (TGV, Intercités, TER), go to this page of the SNCF. For information on the Transilien or RER in the Paris suburbs, call 0 805 90 36 35 or consult the dedicated platform.