LIVE – Gare de l’Est: traffic still disrupted, SNCF denounces “sabotage”

“NO LINK” WITH THE SOCIAL MOVEMENT

Asked by franceinfo, the secretary general of the CGT said that there was “no link” between the malicious act at the Gare de l’Est in Paris and the social movement against the pension reform. “This kind of shortcut is unhealthy. You have to be careful with this kind of shortcut,” insisted Philippe Martinez.

RETURN TO NORMAL EXPECTED THURSDAY

SNCF expects a return to normal tomorrow morning. In the meantime, travelers are back this Wednesday at the Gare de l’Est, although traffic remains very disrupted, after a deserted station on Tuesday. On the billboards, trains for the Grand-Est region, but also for Luxembourg or Germany were announced.

TESTIMONY

“Yesterday, I started working from home directly. Today, I managed to get a direct train, and I’m going to take a detour to get home tonight, we have to change our itinerary”, says Mélodine, traveler passing through the Gare de l’Est.

WHAT TRAFFIC THIS WEDNESDAY?

It will take one in three TGVs during rush hour, one in two TGVs the rest of the day departing from or arriving at the Gare de l’Est, while traffic remains disrupted by the aftermath of an intentional fire on electric cables from a signal box in Seine-et-Marne on Tuesday morning.

TRAFFIC REMAINS VERY DISTURBED

In the aftermath of a fire which interrupted traffic at Gare de l’Est, traffic remains very disrupted this Wednesday, January 25. At rush hour, it will take one TGV out of 3.

VOLUNTARY FIRE: PARALYZED EST STATION

“AN ACT OF SABOTAGE” FOR THE SNCF

The SNCF denounced Tuesday “an act of sabotage” after the arson on electric cables of a switch post in Seine-et-Marne, which practically paralyzed all traffic all day at the station of ballast.

“This morning, we suffered an act of sabotage around 3 a.m., we discovered (…) significant damage,” said Olivier Bancel, number two of SNCF Réseau. “It is an act of sabotage on signal cables which contain safety circuits.”

REPORTAGE

What is the traffic situation at the Gare de l’Est? And when will it be restored?

REPORTAGE

Rail traffic is completely interrupted on departure and arrival at the Gare de l’Est. A big mess for travelers.

RAIL TRAFFIC

The TGVs as well as some of the TER and trains of the P line of the Transilien have not been able to enter or leave the Gare de l’Est since the start of the morning. The traffic of the RER E, the southern branch of the P line and the TER connecting Paris-Troyes-Mulhouse circulate for their part normally.

WE MAKE THE POINT

Train traffic is completely interrupted at the Gare de l’Est in the 10th arrondissement of Paris. The first investigations established that this was due to an “arson” on electrical cables.

WEDNESDAY RESUME “NOT GUARANTEED”

The Minister Delegate for Transport Clément Beaune said Tuesday at midday “not yet be able to guarantee” a resumption of train traffic on Wednesday at the Gare de l’Est in Paris, paralyzed after an arson attack on electrical cables. A new information point must be organized at 5 p.m. “Everything is done for a recovery as soon as possible, but we are still in uncertainty,” he warned.

“A REAL INTENT TO HARM”

“The SNCF was right to file a complaint, it is a scandalous act against our public service”, railed the Minister Delegate for Transport Clément Beaune from the National Center for Railway Operations (CNOF), where he is holding a press point. “It is unacceptable. (…) There was a real intention to harm and interrupt rail traffic.” He notably mentioned “traces of gasoline” and a fire “in two targeted points”, which caused “a rather exceptional, very serious incident”.

INQUIRIES

The police services of the Noisiel police station were notified around 4:35 am of the fire of an electrical box of the SNCF located in the town of Vaires-sur-Marne. It appears from the first investigations that the said fire broke out around 1:10 a.m., indicates the Meaux prosecution.

On site, it was noted that a box housing electrical cables was set on fire. “Two concrete panels access to the hatch where said box was inserted into the ground (have) been removed and deposited”, mentions the press release. Another box, located on the other side of the tracks, was also “subject to damage by fire”. Finally, an access gate to the SNCF tracks was “opened, without any trace of break-in”.

INVESTIGATION

The Meaux prosecutor’s office on Tuesday ordered the opening of a blatant investigation by the head of voluntary degradation by fire and endangering others after the malicious act on an installation. The investigations were entrusted to the judicial police service of Meaux.

TGV DEVIATED TO GARE DU NORD

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 figures dating from 2019. “We have set up passenger information on the all of our sites, red vests” – volunteers responsible for guiding travelers – “have been deployed. Travelers who had a reservation have been informed,” said Christophe Fanichet, CEO of SNCF Voyageurs.

“48 BURNED CABLES”

“It is an inadmissible act of vandalism”, denounced Anne-Marie Palmier, director Ile-de-France production zone of SNCF Réseau during a press briefing held in the middle of the morning in the hall of the station. ‘Est, stating that “48 cables, located in gutters which were opened, were burned”. “The cables make it possible to give information to the signal boxes, so safety is no longer guaranteed,” she added, adding that the company had filed a complaint.

THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT ON SITE

Minister Delegate for Transport Clément Beaune is expected at 11:30 a.m. at the National Rail Operations Center (CNOF) following the incident affecting traffic at Gare de l’Est. The member of the government will thank the agents mobilized and will take stock of the situation, before speaking to the press.

FIRE

“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 AFP.

REPAIRS

“Traffic will be interrupted for the whole day, until the end of service. A dozen SNCF Réseau agents are at work to repair as quickly as possible,” said an SNCF spokesperson. “The SNCF Réseau teams are continuing to establish the diagnosis. We invite you to postpone your trip”, writes the SNCF on its web page dedicated to traffic information.

ALTERNATIVE ROUTES

If you are affected by the total interruption of traffic at the Gare de l’Est, which will last “all day”, the SNCF provides alternative routes to reach your destination.

APPEAL FROM THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT

Invited by franceinfo on Tuesday, the Minister Delegate for Transport Clément Beaune commented on the total interruption of traffic departing from and arriving at the Gare de l’Est in Paris. “It’s a mess this morning. It’s a malicious act that was done on the network cables,” he confirmed. “These (malicious) acts must be severely punished.”

FILING COMPLAINT

Evoking a “malicious act”, a spokeswoman for the SNCF announced to AFP “a filing of a complaint” by SNCF Réseau for this fire which caused the total interruption of TGV and TER traffic, as well as of line P of the Transilien.

DAMAGE

The line P Twitter account shares a photo of the electric cables damaged by what the SNCF considers to be an “arson” in the Vaires sector.

INTERRUPTED TRAFFIC

Traffic at the Gare de l’Est in Paris will be interrupted “all day” following an “arson on electric cables”, SNCF told AFP on Tuesday, which had initially counted on a resumption of traffic at 10 a.m.