Eurostar Resumes Services Between London and Paris Following WWII Bomb Removal

Train operations are set to normalize after an unexploded bomb was safely removed near tracks in Saint-Denis.

Eurostar services linking London and Paris will resume following the successful removal of an unexploded Second World War bomb discovered near railway tracks in Saint-Denis, a suburb north of Paris.

The bomb was identified early on Friday, prompting the cancellation of all 32 trains scheduled for the day.

The discovery was made by railway staff conducting maintenance work around 4 a.m.

In light of the situation, Eurostar announced it expects to resume "normal traffic" on Saturday, implementing one additional service in each direction to accommodate passengers.

The first train is scheduled to depart from London St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord at 6:31 a.m.

The bomb-disposal operation involved nearly 300 police officers who secured the area as experts arrived to handle the situation.

French transport minister Philippe Tabarot provided updates during a press conference on Friday, noting that schools in the vicinity were evacuated and residents were advised to remain indoors during the operation.

Tabarot confirmed that the bomb-disposal effort concluded shortly after 4 p.m. the same day.

He remarked on the significant disruption caused by the incident, stating that it had "paralysed" the northern part of France, affecting nearly 500 trains and around 600,000 people at Gare du Nord.

Passengers affected by the cancellations were offered options for refunds or vouchers equivalent to the value of their bookings, aiming to mitigate the impact of the disruption on their travel plans.