Paris’ busiest train station, Gare du Nord, was shut down on Friday after an unexploded World War II bomb was discovered on the tracks during routine maintenance work in the suburb of Saint-Denis. The disruption affected thousands of passengers as authorities swiftly halted all train traffic, including Eurostar services to London and high-speed TGV connections.
Discovery and Immediate Action
The bomb was found around 4 a.m. during earth-moving work near the tracks, prompting French authorities to suspend all services to and from the station. French railway operator SNCF and suburban RER B train service confirmed on social media that the explosive device dated back to World War II.
Gare du Nord, a key European transit hub that connects Paris with Brussels, the Netherlands, and the Charles de Gaulle Airport, sees approximately 700,000 passengers daily. The sudden shutdown led to significant travel disruptions, with stranded commuters gathering at the station as security operations continued.
Authorities Work to Defuse the Threat
Specialized bomb disposal experts and minesweepers were deployed to the site to safely neutralize and remove the device. French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot confirmed that train services would remain “strongly disrupted” throughout the day, with only limited operations expected to resume in the afternoon. He urged travelers to postpone their trips if possible.
Tabarot reassured the public that there was “no risk of explosion” for residents or passengers near the station, emphasizing that strict defusal protocols were being followed.
Unexploded WWII Ordnance in Europe
While it is not uncommon for unexploded bombs from World War I and World War II to be discovered across France, it is rare to find them in such a high-traffic urban area. Many European cities still occasionally uncover wartime explosives during construction and maintenance work.
Sources By Agencies
