TGV delays on the South-East line: a train driver's “act of suicide” is believed to be the cause of the disruptions

The cause of the major TGV delays on the South-East high-speed line, during the night of Tuesday 24 to Wednesday 25 December, seems to be becoming clearer. Another route was used, causing up to five hours of delay.

TGV traffic on the South-East high-speed line was severely disrupted on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, causing major delays for thousands of passengers. Initially presented as a “personal accident” that caused these disruptions, the hypothesis of suicide is now being presented.

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“The initial findings seem to lead us to believe that it was an act of suicide by the driver of a TGV train“, the Melun (Seine-et-Marne) prosecutor's office said on Wednesday, the day after major disruptions on the South-East line on New Year's Eve. “Automatic railway safety procedures ensured the train was stopped”, the prosecutor added.

According to a source close to the investigation, the driver of a train jumped off the train early Tuesday evening. His lifeless body was discovered a little later around 8 p.m.

3,000 people affected

Taxis were made available overnight for passengers who were victims of this incident. Just over 3,000 people were affected by the delays on Christmas Eve.

Some trains were up to 5 hours late, but none were cancelled, SNCF said.