Severe disruption on Barcelona – Paris TGV due to fire near border
Passengers were left sleeping outside of Spanish station, without some not being given information on the disruption for over 24 hours
Services the following day were fully booked, leading to a tight squeeze for some
Tobias Arhelger / Shutterstock
Passengers on a TGV train between Barcelona and Paris were left stranded at the weekend after a fire near the border stopped their train, and no replacement service was available.
A high-speed train originally left the Catalan city on Saturday (September 14) afternoon, scheduled to arrive in Paris around 23:15.
A fire near the tracks at Figueras, on the Spanish side of the border, prevented the train from crossing into France, and eventually the train turned back to return to Barcelona.
Passengers had the choice of staying on the train as it turned back, or getting off at Figueras or Girona, in the hope of an onward journey.
Conductors on the train said passengers would receive a text message over the situation by the evening outlining possible options, however only a handful received any updates, leaving travellers to guess the best course of action.
Crowded trains and stations
Travellers who made their way back to Barcelona were given the choice of finding accommodation paid for out of their own pocket, or spending the night outside the station.
Passengers including a young woman and her baby, as well as elderly and disabled travellers, remained outside the station. Others report spending up to €350 to stay at a hotel.
The services running to Paris the following day were all fully booked, however some people got onto the first train, staying in the corridors or in the bar carriage, with conductors allowing them on the service free of charge.
In some cases, passengers still had not received any updates more than 24 hours after the train had initially been stopped.
A director for France’s state rail operator the SNCF, which runs the service, said an internal investigation would be opened into why passengers were not updated with information by text.
He added that passengers should receive an email on Monday (September 16) confirming exceptional travel expenses due to the delay will be covered by the operator.
Read more: Train travellers in France to face fine soon if luggage above these dimensions
