On Friday, near Gare du Nord in Paris, France, a World War II-era unexploded bomb was discovered, causing serious disruptions at this world’s third busiest train station.
The transportation interruption affected commuter railways, domestic, and international train services, including the Eurostar high-speed train service.
A spokesperson for Eurostar told Reuters that the company plans to cancel all trains to and from Paris Nord station. The company’s website advises travelers to rearrange their travel plans.
One of the train lines operated by Eurostar, Line H, posted on social media platform X that the bomb was found in the middle of the tracks 2.5 kilometers (1.55 miles) away from Gare du Nord.
The company stated that train traffic will remain suspended until the bomb disposal operation is completed.
Parisian authorities stated that the bomb was found during construction in the suburban area of Saint-Denis on Friday at 3:30 am local time (2:30 GMT). Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot anticipates that the traffic disruption will last at least until the end of the day.
According to Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau, Gare du Nord is the busiest train station in Europe, with approximately 220 million passengers passing through annually, traveling to and from northern France, London, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany.
Clemence Fandard, a graphic designer from Paris, stated that the 6:20 am train to Amsterdam, Netherlands, which she was supposed to board, was initially delayed by 45 minutes and later canceled.
“I occasionally hear reports of these incidents happening,” Fandard said. “We’re just unlucky!”
(Reference: Reuters)