Severe storms disrupt Île-de-France train traffic

Île-de-France residents faced severe travel disruptions Thursday evening as violent thunderstorms swept through the region, triggering a yellow alert from Météo-France. The adverse weather led to numerous fallen trees and other obstacles on railway lines, significantly impacting train services.

The French national railway company, SNCF, reported substantial delays and interruptions across several key lines. Intercités trains between Paris-Austerlitz and Juvisy experienced delays of 30 minutes to 1 hour and 40 minutes due to trees and metal sheets falling onto the power supply lines. Similar issues affected TGV services near Maison-Alfort, causing delays of 20 minutes to 1 hour.

Commuters on the RER network faced widespread problems. RER A saw traffic halted between Fontenay-sous-Bois and Joinville-le-Pont in both directions until 2 a.m. RER C experienced interruptions from Massy-Palaiseau to Paris Austerlitz and from Juvisy to Paris Austerlitz for the remainder of the day. RER D was disrupted between Paris Gare du Nord and Villeneuve-Saint-Georges until 9:30 p.m., while RER E faced disruptions between Nanterre-La-Folie and Villiers-sur-Marne, and between Nanterre-La-Folie and Tournan.

Transilien lines were also heavily impacted. Line K experienced a total traffic halt between Thieux and Compans due to a power supply failure until 9:30 p.m. On Line P, two trees fell onto the tracks near Nangis, requiring specialized teams for removal. Service resumption was initially estimated for 9:15 p.m. but was pending confirmation after the storms passed. Line R also saw traffic interrupted between Paris-Gare de Lyon and Melun in both directions until 9:30 p.m. due to a fallen tree. Even tram lines T4 and T12 were affected, with traffic expected to resume at 9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., respectively.