During the day of this Sunday, November 24, 2024, reconnaissance trains set out on the railway tracks between Caen (Calvados) and Cherbourg (Manche) and between Caen and Rennes (Ille-et-Vilaine). Objective: to check that no obstacle (trees, branches, wires, catenaries) hinders the movement of trains.
Since Saturday, 9 p.m., train traffic has been interrupted on these two lines, because of storm Bert which is crossing Normandy, and its gusts “at more than 100 km/h in the Channel”, according to SNCF.
Around fifteen trees on the tracks
Train traffic on the Caen-Cherbourg line could restart around 7 p.m., while trains on the Caen-Rennes line could leave around 8 p.m. If everything is in order on the tracks.
At 5:30 p.m., SNCF indicated on X (formerly Twitter) that around fifteen trees had been found on the tracks. “In this case, the teams of SNCF Réseau lumberjacks, present on board the reconnaissance trains, have the mission of clearing the tracks. » The SNCF further specifies that the “Normal resumption of traffic depends on the impacts of the storm on the tracks”.
Furthermore, the Paris-Granville line has been at a standstill since the passage of storm Caetano on Thursday. This Sunday, interventions took place near Folligny (Manche), in particular to remove weakened trees. For this line, the resumption of traffic is planned for Monday November 25.
SNCF advises travelers to postpone their trip and/or check train timetables on the Nomad trains website, SNCF Connect or any other mobility application.
