All Eurostar services between London and Paris have been cancelled today after an unexploded Second World War bomb was found near the Gare du Nord station. The bomb was found in the area of Saint-Denis during overnight works approximately a mile north of Gare du Nord.
Eurostar subsequently cancelled all services between London and Paris for the rest of Friday and said passengers should travel on another day or claim a refund. Eurostar services between Paris and Brussels are also cancelled.
In a statement, Eurostar said it “sincerely apologises for the disruption and understands the inconvenience this may cause”.
“We appreciate everyone’s patience and cooperation during this time,” the statement adds.
The Brussels to Marne La Vallée, London to Brussels, and London to Amsterdam trains are all running normally, Eurostar said.
The Gare du Nord regularly sees 700,000 travellers eachday, making it the busiest rail hub in both France and Europe. As well as towns and cities across northern France and the Paris suburbs, the station also serves Paris’ main airport and international destinations including London, Brussels, and cities in the Netherlands.
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.
Speaking to French broadcaster Sud Radio, he 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.
Finding unexploded wartime bombs in France is not uncommon, particularly around railways. During the Second World War, British and American bombers frequently targeted railyards in Paris and other cities to hinder the German war effort.
Image credit: iStockphot.com/Hans-Martens
