Smoke is released due to the damage to the locomotive. For safety reasons, the train had to be brought to a complete stop and the electricity cut off. This means, among other things, that the approximately 350 passengers no longer have air conditioning. “The doors of the train have been opened and water has been distributed,” the spokeswoman said. The fire service is on the scene, she added.
The railway company is investigating the possibilities of evacuating passengers. “The train is stuck at a railway junction, which complicates the evacuation. But we are trying to evacuate them as soon as possible,” said the spokesman.
Delays
The power cut also affects other Thalys trains, which also had to be stopped with the air conditioning switched off. Again the train doors were opened and water was distributed. “We are doing everything we can to rectify the situation as soon as possible,” the spokeswoman assured.
“Water has run out and information is scant”
Bart Willems, who is in the affected TGV, says that the conditions on board the French bullet train are far from optimal after hours. “It is very warm, especially in the compartments, even though the doors are open,” the Dutchman told De Telegraaf. “The bar on the train is sold out, the water has run out and we have not received any information about what exactly is going on and what is going to happen. There is also poor reach for people who want to look up information or make contact.”
He has now found out himself, via social media, that a solution is being worked on. But for the time being, this relates to other trains. “The train ahead of us is being evacuated. I think the train behind us has gone back to Brussels.” He does not know what will happen to the TGV he is in. “We just don’t hear anything at all. The situation is really hopeless.”
Frustration
Many travelers have already expressed their frustration on social media. “This journey with the Thalys already started with delays in Brussels due to a collision with an animal on the tracks. Shortly afterwards we drove on again, but had to stop again because the train ahead of us had problems. Now we return to Brussels,” someone wrote on Twitter. Other people are also worried. They were told there is a problem with the battery and it needs to be reset.