Unexploded WWII bomb in Paris halts Eurostar travel connecting Paris to
London and Brussels
[March 07, 2025]
By SAMUEL PETREQUIN and JOHN LEICESTER
PARIS (AP) — Eurostar announced the cancellation of all its high-speed
trains connecting Paris to London and Brussels on Friday after the
discovery of a World War-II era bomb near the tracks serving Eurostar’s
hub in the French capital, Gare du Nord.
“All Eurostar trains are cancelled to and from Paris today,” the rail
operator said in a statement sent to The Associated Press. “Eurostar
sincerely apologizes for the disruption and understands the
inconvenience this may cause. We appreciate everyone’s patience and
cooperation during this time.”
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.
PARIS (AP) — The discovery of an unexploded World War II-era bomb near
the tracks halted Eurostar services between Paris and London Friday and
caused cascading disruptions to scores of other trains to and from
France's busiest railway station, the Gare du Nord.
Bright red signs warning of service disruptions greeted rail users at
the usually busy Paris station, their travel plans thrown into disarray
during the morning rush hour.
The repercussions quickly rippled beyond France’s borders. In Brussels,
trains to Paris were cancelled until at least Friday afternoon.
“There’s no solution, we’re going to call the hotel and stay one more
day. And change our train ticket,” said Michel Garrot, a retired
Parisian who was visiting the Belgian capital with his wife.
At London’s St. Pancras station, travelers who’d been looking forward to
Paris’ charms found their plans dashed.
“We’re looking up flights, but our options are limited,” said Lauren
Romeo-Smith, part of a group on their way to a birthday weekend.
Eurostar, which runs passenger trains through the Channel Tunnel between
Britain and the continent, canceled all services between London and
Paris for the rest of Friday and said passengers should travel on
another day. Passengers at St. Pancras were advised to take the train to
Lille in northwest France, or fly to Paris.
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A view of a departures board at St Pancras International station in
London, Friday March 7, 2025, after Eurostar trains to the capital
have been halted following the discovery of an unexploded Second
World War bomb near the tracks in Paris. (James Manning/PA via AP)
Fridays are invariably busy at St. Pancras, Eurostar’s London hub,
as thousands of people leave and arrive for weekend breaks on the
continent.
French national rail operator SNCF says the Gare du Nord habitually
sees 700,000 travelers per day, 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.
Bombs left over from World War I or World War II are regularly
discovered around France but it is very rare to find them in such a
people-packed location. The SNCF said rail traffic was stopped at
the request of police.
The bomb was discovered around 4 a.m. by workers doing earth-moving
work near the tracks in the Seine-Saint-Denis region that borders
Paris to the north. Bomb disposal experts were sent to the site.
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.
Tabarot, speaking on broadcaster Sud Radio, 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.
___
AP journalists Sylvie Corbet in Brussels and Jill Lawless in London
contributed.
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