Traffic interrupted at East Station: SNCF claims it’s ‘sabotage’

Traffic jams completely at the Gare de l’Est stop? The blame for the “act of sabotage” is condemned on Tuesday by the SNCF after the arson of the electric cables of the turnout in the Seine and Marne, which practically paralyzed traffic at the Paris station all day.

“This morning around 3 am we were sabotaged, we found (…) significant damage,” said Olivier Bancel, number two of the SNCF Réseau. “This is an act of sabotage on the signal cables that turn on the security circuits. “There are no leads, claims from the group” at this stage of the investigation, a source close to the investigation said.

600 electrical cables damaged

According to the state company, “forty-eight cable arteries or about 600 electrical cables were damaged” at a signal box in Vaire-sur-Marne (Seine-et-Marne). The SNCF filed a complaint, and Mo’s prosecutor’s office announced the opening of an investigation into the intentional humiliation and threat to the lives of others. “Given the extent of the damage to SNCF Réseau, additional time is needed to repair and replace damaged cables, as well as the testing steps required to secure the network,” the company explained in a press release.

Minister of Transport Clément Beaune condemned “an outrageous malicious act (…) with the deliberate intent to cause damage and very seriously disrupt traffic” which “should be punished and condemned”. In particular, he mentioned “traces of gasoline” and a fire “at two target points”, which caused “a rather exceptional, very serious incident.”

On Wednesday, traffic will resume, but slowly: every third TGV will run during rush hour and every second during the day, departing and arriving at the East Station. Every second Transilien is scheduled on the P line (Axis Meaux and Château-Thierry) during peak hours and “normal traffic with off-peak adjustments”. TER Grand Est traffic should be normal “with service adjustments”.