Thousands of travellers in Paris and London were stranded on Friday after a World War II bomb was discovered near Gare du Nord, Paris’ busiest train station.
Rail traffic was completely halted as police worked to remove the unexploded device, affecting international and local routes. All trains to and from Paris were canceled.
The bomb was found overnight during maintenance work on the tracks in Saint-Denis, a northern suburb of Paris, about 2.5 kilometres from the station. The French railway company, SNCF, confirmed that the device dated back to World War II. The disruption also affected RER B suburban trains, which connect Gare du Nord to Charles de Gaulle Airport.
Many passengers expressed frustration at the delays. Corinne Schiavenato, a commuter, had been waiting for a train since 6:00 a.m. but found replacement buses too crowded.
French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot warned that train services would remain “heavily disrupted all day” and advised travellers to postpone their journeys. Eurostar urged passengers to reschedule their trips, while some stranded travellers in London tried to find flights instead.
This is not the first time a wartime bomb has disrupted travel in Paris. In 2019, another bomb caused delays at Saint-Lazare station. Unexploded bombs from World War II are still found across Europe, especially in Germany, where old ordnance is regularly uncovered.
