All railway travel, including RER, regional, Eurostar and TGV services have been suspended until at least 10am, according to local media – while a bomb squad investigates the scene
All Eurostar trains going to and from Gare du Nord in Paris have been suspended following the discovery of a World War II bomb on the tracks.
The bomb was found overnight as work was being carried out in St Denis – a small commune in the northern suburbs of Paris. The discovery has sparked major travel chaos, with all RER, regional, TGV and Eurostar trains suspended until at least 10am – and travellers facing delays of up to two hours, according to local media.
A bomb squad arrived on scene at around 6am and are still assessing the area, French national railway company SNCF said. “It was found overnight in Saint Denis,” said a local railway line spokesman, referring to the town just north of the French capital.
“The site of the bomb is around two kilometers [less than two miles] from Gare du Nord, so the decision was taken to shut the line in both directions. All services have been cancelled, and there are currently long delays. A bomb disposal squad is at the scene, and attempting to make it safe.”
The area has been evacuated, and people are being warned not to go near the area, said the source. As well as the being the main Eurostar hub, services from all over Europe come into and leave the Gare du Nord – the busiest railway station in France.
It was extensively used by occupying German forces during the Second World War, up until the liberation of Paris in 1944. Before then, the area around it was regularly bombed by the RAF and the American Airforce, as were factories in the Paris suburbs.
Ordnance from both World Wars is still regularly found around France, especially in building works, and is known as ‘the Iron Harvest
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