WWII bomb found in France disrupts Eurostar trains between Amsterdam and Paris
The discovery of a Second World War bomb in France has completely halted train traffic to and from the Gare du Nord station in Paris. That also affects the Eurostar trains between Amsterdam and the French capital.
According to the Eurostar app, five trains departing from Amsterdam will terminate at Brussels Midi/Zuid and will not continue to Paris. One train later in the day was completely cancelled. Seven trains from Paris Nord to Amsterdam were cancelled.
Eurostar told ANP that it canceled all trains to and from Gare du Nord station on Friday, affecting the London-Paris and the Brussels-Paris routes. Trains between Amsterdam and the French capital run on the Brussels-Paris route and trains from Amsterdam will, therefore, end in Brussels. People can rebook their ticket to another day free of charge, "subject to availability," the Eurostar spokesperson said. NS International urged travelers to postpone their journeys.
The French railway company SNCF reported that the WWII bomb was found between the rails in Saint-Denis, north of the Gare du Nord station, during nightime work on the railway. Specialists are working on defusing and removing the explosive.
French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said that train traffic could hopefully resume on Friday afternoon, ANP reported. He added that the timetable will likely be disrupted all day.
It is unclear how many Eurostar passengers are affected. Amsterdam-Paris is a popular route, especially for recreational travelers. Many schools in the southern region of the Netherlands are still on vacation until Monday due to Carnaval.
The direct trains take about 3 hours and 25 minutes to complete the journey. Stops include Schiphol Airport, Rotterdam Centraal, Antwerpen-Centraal, and Brussels Midi/Zuid.
