A train near the town of Cléon, in the Seine-Maritime department of Normandy in northwestern France, derailed on Friday evening, injuring 44 people, as authorities investigate the incident.
The regional train, which was travelling between Rouen and Caen with 186 passengers on board, derailed at around 7:45pm. An 18-year-old woman was seriously injured and airlifted to Rouen University Hospital, while another 43 passengers suffered less serious injuries.
Investigators found a foreign piece of rail lying on the tracks, which police believe may have caused the derailment. Authorities have opened a criminal investigation but have so far stopped short of definitively describing the incident as deliberate sabotage.
This is not the first time France has suffered attacks against critical transport infrastructure in recent years. Just hours before the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games in July 2024, coordinated arson attacks targeted France’s high-speed railway network, damaging signalling equipment, cables and electrical installations on several major routes into Paris.
The attacks disrupted journeys for around 800,000 passengers and affected major routes connecting Paris with Lille, Bordeaux and Strasbourg. A fourth attempted attack on the Paris-Marseille line was disrupted before it could be completed.
Feature photo by AFP.
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