Rail services at Gare du Nord, one of Europe’s busiest transport hubs, resumed on Saturday following a disruption caused by the discovery of a World War II bomb. All trains were canceled for much of Friday, impacting around 500 trains and an estimated 600,000 passengers as the northern part of France experienced significant travel paralysis.
Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot described Friday as one of the most challenging days for the French rail network in years. He reported that the bomb, weighing 500 kilograms and containing 200 kilograms of explosives, was successfully defused by Friday afternoon, paving the way for travel to resume.
By 1700 GMT Friday, services began to operate progressively, returning to normal by Saturday morning. “Traffic has resumed normally; everything is open and running smoothly,” a spokesperson for the French rail operator SNCF confirmed. Eurostar also announced that high-speed trains to London and Brussels had returned to a regular schedule, with additional trains provided for those affected by Friday’s cancellations.
In response to the bomb threat, approximately 300 police officers were deployed to secure the area after the device was unearthed during overnight engineering work. Nearby residents were evacuated, and sections of the Paris ring road were temporarily closed as a precaution.
While the exact date of the bomb’s deployment remains unclear, experts suggest it likely dates back to Allied bombing campaigns targeting railway infrastructure during the German occupation of France in World War II.
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