A particularly damning report for the SNCF has been filed in court. According The Parisian, who was able to consult this 120-page document, major concerns weigh on the state of the Gare du Nord (Paris). The author of the report, François Pinchon, evokes “major risks for human lives” within the largest station in Europe. It identifies three main risks: a fire at the Eurostar footbridge, a fall of concrete blocks on its tracks and a collapse of the H and K suburban lines on the underground tracks of the RER B and D.
Still, this expert was commissioned by StatioNord, the former company responsible for modernizing the Gare du Nord, now in liquidation. The report is written on the background of two legal proceedings, one before the commercial court, and the other before the administrative court, confronting the SNCF with this company. StatioNord is claiming in particular 350 million euros in damages, following a breach of contract “due to the risk of financial slippage”.
If the information revealed by the report turns out to be correct, the lives of some of the 600,000 daily users of the station could be endangered. Contacted by The Parisianthe SNCF nevertheless ensures that “the Gare du Nord is subject to regular audits and controls”.