Accident de personne in Seine-et-Marne: thousands of travelers affected by significant delays
Tuesday evening, an accident de personne that occurred around 8 p.m. in the south of Seine-et-Marne caused significant delays on about ten TGV trains. SNCF indicated that this incident, which took place on a high-speed line used by many trains connecting the South-East to Paris, disrupted traffic with delays ranging from one to five hours.
Thousands of passengers affected
According to SNCF, the trains had to be rerouted to conventional lines, reducing their speed and considerably extending travel times. Average delays were estimated between one and one and a half hours, but some trains experienced up to five hours of delay.
On board a Lyon-Paris TGV, journalists on the scene described a harrowing situation: “The initially announced delay of 45 minutes gradually increased to five hours.” Passengers, distraught, shared their frustration about the lack of food and the uncertainty regarding the resumption of traffic.
Gertrude, a traveler, said, “We were supposed to spend Christmas with family, but it’s ruined.”
Gradual resumption of traffic
SNCF announced that traffic gradually resumed from 12:20 a.m., after emergency services, judicial police, and funeral services intervened at the accident site. However, disruptions persisted until the end of service.
Passenger support
The railway company assured that all affected travelers would be assisted according to standard procedures, including the provision of taxis and hotels for those who missed their connections.
By Tuesday evening, at 11:40 p.m., arrivals at Gare de Lyon in Paris were still experiencing significant delays: six trains were running one to two hours late, while four had delays of about five hours.
A disrupted Christmas Eve
This incident, occurring on Christmas Eve, upset the plans of many travelers. Despite efforts to restore traffic, several thousand people saw their evening compromised. SNCF committed to ensuring all trains would reach their destination by the end of the night.
