Traffic at Paris' Gare du Nord train station has been halted after an unexploded World War II bomb was discovered on the tracks leading to France’s busiest rail terminal, officials confirmed.
The explosive device was found in the middle of the tracks overnight during routine maintenance work in the suburb of Saint-Denis, according to the French national railway company, SNCF. The suburban RER B train service confirmed on X (formerly Twitter) that the bomb dated back to the Second World War.
The Gare du Nord is a major European transit hub, serving international destinations north of France such as the EU capital, Brussels, and the Netherlands, as well as the main Paris airport and many regional destinations.
Following the discovery, French authorities quickly halted all train traffic to and from Gare du Nord, including high-speed TGV and Eurostar services. The terminal, which accommodates approximately 700,000 passengers daily, saw major disruptions as police and bomb disposal experts worked to neutralize the threat.
According to Eurostar’s official website, at least three morning departures were canceled as a precaution. Passengers traveling to London, Brussels, and other destinations faced significant delays.
{{/usCountry}}According to Eurostar’s official website, at least three morning departures were canceled as a precaution. Passengers traveling to London, Brussels, and other destinations faced significant delays.
{{/usCountry}}Authorities have yet to confirm the origins of the bomb, though unexploded ordnance from World War II is occasionally unearthed in Europe during construction and maintenance work.
French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said traffic would be ‘’strongly disrupted'' throughout the day with only limited service resuming in the afternoon, and urged travelers to postpone their trips.
The bomb was discovered around 4 am by workers doing earth-moving work near the tracks in the Seine-Saint-Denis region. Minesweepers were sent to the site and their operation is still going on. Stranded travelers converged on the station as it opened Friday.
Bombs left over from World War I or World War II are regularly discovered around France but it is very rare to find them in such a people-packed location.
Tabarot, speaking on broadcaster Sud Radio, said local residents and people near the train stations should have “no fear” of a risk of explosion, stressing the procedures in place for defusing and removing such bombs.