Île-de-France: Traffic halted on Lines L and J due to 'fire' near Paris Saint-Lazare station

Train services on the L and J lines in Île-de-France faced significant disruptions Wednesday morning due to a fire near the Paris Saint-Lazare station. The blaze, located "near the tracks," prompted an immediate response from firefighters who were on the scene working to contain the situation.

The incident caused a complete halt in traffic between Paris Saint-Lazare and La Garenne-Colombes, as well as between Paris and La Défense. Service was also affected between Saint-Lazare and Nanterre Université. On line J, trains were interrupted between Paris Saint-Lazare and Argenteuil, and between Paris Saint-Lazare and Houilles-Carrières.

Commuters faced considerable difficulties as the SNCF initially projected a return to normal service no earlier than 11:30 AM. This disruption adds to a series of recent incidents impacting rail traffic, many of which have been attributed to fires sparked during recent heatwaves. For instance, a fire in Sens on Monday caused significant delays and required train rerouting, extending travel times by up to 3 hours and 40 minutes in some cases.