All traffic to the train station, which serves international, high-speed and local connections, was halted as police worked to disable the device. All Eurostar trains in Paris were cancelled.
The unexploded bomb was found “in the middle of the tracks” about 2.5 kilometres from the station overnight during maintenance work carried out in the northern Paris suburb of Saint Denis, the national SNCF rail company said.
The bomb “dates back to World War II,” the RER B suburban train firm, whose trains from Gare du Nord heading towards Charles de Gaulle airport have also been suspended, wrote in a post on X.
The Gare du Nord station lies in the north of the French capital and is the country’s busiest train hub, hosting the Eurostar trains in addition to regional and suburban service, according to the SNCF.
Many passengers could not mask their irritation at the sudden change of plans.
“I’ve been waiting since 6:00 am for an RER to Goussainville,” said 55-year-old Corinne Schiavenato, referring to a town north of Paris.
“I tried to take a replacement bus but it’s impossible, too many passengers, they’re packed. I’m self-employed, I have a client who has been waiting for me since 7:00 am.”
Others took the disruptions in stride.
“It’s funny, I’ve just come back from Lorient where unexploded shells are discovered all the time,” said Chloe Ternand, referring to a town in western France.
Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot warned that rail traffic at Gare du Nord would remain “heavily disrupted all day” on Friday, which usually sees an increase in passengers due to weekend travel. (AFP)
