After several incidents Thursday 31st January, 2019 at the station of Paris-Montparnasse, the TGV traffic “on the Atlantic arc” returned to normal this Friday morning.
Traffic returned to normal Friday morning at the Montparnasse station where the movement of TGV was strongly disrupted all Thursday Thursday after a power failure, we learned from the SNCF.
“This morning, on all the networks, it rolled impeccably. We will update at 8am, although everything was consistent, “assured a group source at AFP .
“We returned yesterday the facilities in the early evening. When the traffic stopped, around 11pm, we proceeded to a battery of tests until about 3am and the installations were in conformity. It’s one less worry, “she said.
The repairs lasted all night
The Montparnasse station, the starting point of the TGV Atlantic in Paris, suffered a power failure on the high-voltage system that powers the overhead electric wires, according to this spokesman. The restoration work of the installations must be completed at night.
An electrical incident first occurred at 8:45 am and resulted in a two-lane traffic interruption for a quarter of an hour
While the traffic was still disorganised, passengers of a regional train from Dreux (Eure-et-Loir) went down on the track, causing the immobilisation of all traffic nearby for security reasons.
In addition, new electrical problems appeared in the middle of the day, likely a counter-blow of the first incident. And a TGV was blocked in Massy (Essonne), preventing other trains from arriving at Montparnasse … and therefore to be able to leave later.
While the suburban trains, TER and Intercités were operating normally, the TGVs were up to four hours late Thursday afternoon. Many trains have been cancelled.
The TGV survivors to the South West – to Tours, La Rochelle, Poitiers, Bordeaux and beyond – were diverted to the station of Paris-Austerlitz, half an hour away, while the others – the Ouigo and the TGV to Brittany and the Pays-de-la-Loire – remained in Montparnasse.
Some 20,000 people were directly affected, and 40,000 clients contacted by SMS or email.
History to avoid panic and to be able to transport everyone, the SNCF asked travelers who could not try the adventure Thursday.
Si vous le pouvez nous invitons les voyageurs à reporter leur voyage pour les destinations Bretagne, Pays-de la Loire et Sud-Ouest.
Plus d’informations sur https://t.co/e2VaaSqWLt et sur le site https://t.co/tupYrBAX9M— SNCF (@SNCF) 31 January 2019
Stoic and refrigerated
In fact, despite the cold weather, travellers remained stoic, according to AFP journalists.
Announcements regularly reported on the situation, while “red vests” (SNCF volunteers) and station agents wearing yellow vests informed travellers. Explaining, for example, how to reach the Austerlitz station.
Around 3pm, the train from 1.41pm to Nantes was announced lane 22, causing a large crowd movement on the transversal platform, which crossed the movement in the opposite direction caused by the announcement of the next departure, lane 2, Ouigo 12:14 to Rennes.
Four trolleys containing sandwiches and small bottles were brought to the lobby, with travellers invited to serve themselves.
“It’s maddening, maddening, maddening,” lamented Yveline Batard, a retiree leaving for Nantes.
“I received a text message and was told” do it well, you will be reimbursed, but do you “, she sighed, showing on her phone screen the SNCF message stating:
“We are not able to offer you an alternative travel solution.”
Philippe and Gaëlle Vassal, two Lorientais of 51 and 46 years, trampled on the spot with their two children by nibbling crisps:
“We made the round trip in the day and we already had 2 hours 45 late this morning on the Rennes-Paris while we went to Necker Hospital for our daughter. We thought it was lost. These are appointments that are several months in advance, but they were great at the hospital. And there we had to take the 4.57pm, but that was before!”
“We cumulate for a generation,” snorted Philippe.
Montparnasse station is at its fourth major failure in eighteen months.
The fire at a substation powering the station had disrupted the movement of trains for a week last July, exactly one year after a giant failure that had already completely paralysed. Between these two incidents, a computer incident at a switch station shut down the trains in December 2018.
