It happened on the evening of the vigil. The suicide caused the automatic stop of the vehicle and the blocking of traffic with delays of many hours. SNCF: “No risk to passenger safety”
Disruptions on the High Speed Line
PARIS – The suicide of a TGV driver who jumped from his train at full speed caused serious disruption to the high-speed line between Paris and south-eastern France that affected thousands of travellers on Christmas Eve. This was announced on Christmas Day by SNCF, the national railway company across the Alps.
SNCF Statements
The driver, SNCF explained in a press release, "killed himself while the train was in motion. As soon as he left his driving position, the train's automatic stop devices were activated and the train stopped automatically." Therefore, "passenger safety was never threatened, nor was traffic safety, as the traffic management center was immediately automatically alerted."
Delays and Impacts
The suicide, which immediately halted traffic, is the cause of the significant delays that accumulated Tuesday evening on the high-speed lines in the South-East, which on Christmas Eve affected a dozen TGV trains and thousands of passengers. The trains arrived three to five hours after their scheduled time.
Place of Tragedy
The tragedy occurred in the department of Seine-et-Marne in the municipality of Crisenoy, just over 60 kilometers from the capital. The lifeless body of the train driver was found about an hour later.
Comments (1)
It is very sad to hear about these events, especially during the holidays. Travelers have suffered a lot because of this accident. I hope that Sncf can find solutions to avoid similar inconveniences in the future.