Train(s) stuck in the snow

[whole diary]

[stuving]

SNCF^▸ (Societe Nationale des Chemins de fer Francais - French National Railways)'s entry in this year's "train stuck in the snow" competition was last night's late TGV^▸ (Train a Grande Vitesse) from Paris to Lille. Scheduled to take less than an hour and a half, it finally took over six hours. While the bad news is that it was overnight, and the train carried no food or water, at least there was power and thus heating.

It was of course down to a combination of causes. First, there was quite a lot of snow (more than we've had), which blocked a set of points just before Arras. That meant an hour's delay, but the train did restart - while people have speculated that this led to the train's failure, I can't see why it should.

Soon after Arras, the train stopped with a brake system warning. The driver, together with the assistance sent out, couldn't fix this trackside, so they split the train (two TGV units) and everyone had to get out of one and walk to the other. The fit unit was at the rear, so it had to back up and run up the other track (not bust at that hour!) to Lille.

So nothing at all special in any of that, but it still ruined a trainload of passengers' nights - especially those who were unwell (one was evacuated) or very anxious.

Report in French from La Voix du Nord

[IndustryInsider]

One lesson learned from GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)'s similar mishaps over the years is to provide water and biscuits on the longer distance trains - the new 80x trains have dedicated spaces in every carriage where water and biscuits (along with other emergency equipment) is stored ready for such an incident.

The same copious amount of emergency provisions are not provided on the trains that work the more local routes however.

[Reginald25]

Another thing learnt here. I was unaware that emergency provisions were held on trains, just like lifeboats. thanks for the info.

[IndustryInsider]

Another thing learnt here. I was unaware that emergency provisions were held on trains, just like lifeboats. thanks for the info.

In locked cupboards fortunately!

[ChrisB]

....sometimes!

[stuving]

One lesson learned from GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)'s similar mishaps over the years is to provide water and biscuits on the longer distance trains - the new 80x trains have dedicated spaces in every carriage where water and biscuits (along with other emergency equipment) is stored ready for such an incident.

I don't think this is really long distance - which may be the point. Paris-Lille is 200 km, so further than London-Bristol, but with the LGV^▸ (Large Goods Vehicle in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom), or Lignes à Grande Vitesse (high speed rail lines) in France, depending on context) it's only 1:23 (1:09 on Fridays with no stop at Arras). And it wasn't stranded in the middle of nowhere, it was by an industrial estate in the urban sprawl around Lens. So it's more like a local train, with the high speed allowing the return trip from Paris to leave after 10 pm and still arrive before midnight (TGVs^▸ (Train a Grande Vitesse) are not allowed out later than that!).