in Orne, their train hits a tree, they end up at the gymnasium

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The night of Thursday 21 to Friday 22 November 2024 was short for the majority of Paris-Granville passengers. Two trains suffered a series of incidents before ending their journey at Argentan station (Orne). Several of them tell how that night went.

“A loud noise, a broken window”

Disappointed faces give way to a few smiles Friday November 22 in the morning. Despite the cold of the Jean-Le-Noir room, open for 300 travelers whose train could not reach its destination.

Everyone eagerly hoped to get on the bus taking them back to their destination. This was without taking into account the bad weather prohibiting heavy goods vehicles, including buses, from circulating in the departments of La Manche and Calvados.

Théo and Cyril were both heading towards Granville when they both heard “a big noise”. The first, present in the first train, even saw a window break.

“A tree trunk that fell on the track broke the window,” says the young man.

Gathered around a reel to plug in their smartphones, they got into the habit of waiting to return home.

Troubles from Germany for Élodie

Departing from Stuttgart, Germany, Élodie had already gotten off to a bad start on her return journey to Villedieu-les-Poêles.

“My first TGV to go to Strasbourg was canceled. So I had to arrange to reach the station by car,” she says with a survival blanket on her knees.

His train linking Strasbourg to the capital will be the only normal part of his journey.

When I arrived here, I told myself that it was the pompom. In ten years of traveling regularly, I have never experienced this.

Hoping that his journey to Barcelona next week will be less tumultuous…

Express hotel reservation

Unlike Élodie, who slept in the gymnasium dojo, Natacha and Stéphane spent a night at the hotel. “Many did like us, even if the hotel closest to the station was full. »

“By looking on the SNCF website, I realized that the stations after Argentan could no longer be served. So I rushed to book a night at the hotel here,” says Stéphane, who finally found refuge for the night at the Hôtel de la Renaissance.

These “lucky” ones, however, came early to get information.

“We arrived around 10 a.m. in the room and in the end, we have been waiting ever since,” adds Natacha.

“The controllers assured me the opposite”

For Hugo, anger comes out. “We are the only country where trains no longer pass when there is snow,” he protests. In Montparnasse, he insisted to the controllers to find out if the journey was safe.

There was an orange alert, I didn't want to take any risks, the controllers assured me otherwise. I find this disrespectful to the elderly people and families on board. Paris would have had hotel capacity for everyone, unlike here.

The crisis unit was managed between the town hall and the sub-prefect, Isabelle Rioux. This allowed travelers to find some comfort.

Five members of civil security and other volunteers worked to offer hot drinks and pain au chocolat thanks to Argentan supermarkets.

Reopening of the line on Saturday

The Paris-Granville and Caen Le Mans lines, particularly affected by falling trees and power outages, are still closed to train traffic. It should be gradually restored from Saturday November 23, indicates the SNCF.

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