PARIS (AP) — A storm Wednesday interrupted all high-speed train traffic connecting Paris to the southeast of the country as well as Switzerland in both directions, France’s rail company said, leaving thousands of travelers stranded amid the Olympics and departures for summer vacation.
The SNCF said all the fast trains leaving from and arriving at the Gare de Lyon train station in the French capital were immobilized due to a tree that fell on the tracks and was hit by a train in Burgundy, southeast of the French capital. Regular-speed trains use separate tracks and haven’t been affected.
Authorities cut the power off the track and a logging operation has already started to remove the tree and repair the electrical system, the SNCF said, adding that all passengers on that line were being brought back to a station in order to help people find alternatives travel modes, the company added.
“The priority remains to bring customers stranded in trains back (to stations),” the company said.