Eurostar Resumes Services After Bomb Scare in Paris

Service cancellation on Friday due to an unexploded WWII bomb near tracks disrupts travel plans for thousands.

Eurostar announced the resumption of its London-Paris train services on Saturday, following the cancellation of all 32 trains scheduled for Friday.

The cancellations were prompted by the discovery of an unexploded Second World War bomb near train tracks in Saint-Denis, a suburb of Paris.

On Saturday, Eurostar will add one extra service in each direction to its regular timetable.

Thousands of passengers were affected, with many gathering at both London St Pancras and Paris Gare du Nord stations in hopes of catching afternoon departures, despite initial reports that only morning services were cancelled.

Eurostar issued an apology, acknowledging the disruption and understanding the inconvenience caused to travelers.

Passengers whose trains were cancelled were offered the option to request a refund or voucher for their bookings, or to rebook for an alternative service.

With Friday being one of the busiest days for travel, particularly for leisure travelers heading for weekend getaways, many expressed their frustration.

Charlotte Liddell, traveling for her hen party, remarked on the disappointment felt by her party due to the disruption.

French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot confirmed nearly 300 police officers were deployed to manage the situation, along with bomb-disposal experts who began their work at approximately 4:30 AM. Schools in the vicinity were evacuated, and residents were advised to remain indoors during the operation.

The bomb-disposal operation concluded later in the day, with the minister expressing satisfaction over the safe resolution of the incident.

Rail traffic was anticipated to resume gradually from 6 PM on Friday.

Tabarot highlighted the significant impact of the incident, affecting up to 500 trains and approximately 600,000 passengers at Gare du Nord, which is the primary international entry point for rail travel in Paris, connecting to other European destinations.

In response to the disruption, British Airways added extra flights between Heathrow and Paris Charles de Gaulle, while P&O Ferries announced additional sailings for foot passengers on the Dover-Calais route.

EasyJet also reported that all three of its post-noon flights from Gatwick to Charles de Gaulle were fully booked.

The bomb was uncovered by railway workers conducting maintenance on tracks early Friday morning.

While the discovery of unexploded ordnance from past conflicts occurs periodically in France, such instances are less common in heavily populated urban areas.

Eurostar services between London and Brussels were not affected by the situation.