Cable theft disrupts SNCF train traffic in Normandy until Tuesday morning

Normandy's rail users faced significant disruptions Monday as a "act of vandalism", specifically, a cable theft, halted SNCF train traffic. The incident occurred overnight Sunday to Monday near Argentan in the Orne department, according to SNCF Réseau.

By Monday evening, travel times were extended on the Argentan-Caen, Argentan-Le Mans, and Argentan-Dreux routes. However, service remained "interrupted between Argentan and Granville," with only a reduced number of trains running between Argentan and Paris. The SNCF reported the first disruptions on X (formerly Twitter) as early as 6:48 a.m. Monday.

Efforts to restore the infrastructure were ongoing, with agents working to enable at least one direction of travel, Argentan to Caen. The SNCF aimed to establish a new transport plan considering the technical constraints. Passengers were advised to postpone their journeys, and ticket exchange and cancellation conditions were eased to allow for free rescheduling.

Full restoration of service is anticipated by Tuesday morning at 8 a.m. The railway company urged travelers to postpone their trips if possible, noting that ticket exchange and cancellation policies have been relaxed until Tuesday to accommodate passengers.