Train traffic on the Thalys route was disrupted on Friday afternoon after a collision between a train and an animal in Belgium. The collision has caused a technical problem, causing delays on the route all evening.
According to the French news agency, many passengers have AFP stuck in trains or had to wait at stations. Among them were also Dutch.
They are likely to spend the night in Paris after being advised to continue their journey on Saturday. “However, this is not possible via Thalys because Saturday’s trains are fully booked,” a service employee of the train company reported via Twitter.
According to the Belgian broadcaster, the collision took place VRT around 3.30 pm place near the Walloon city of Tournai. The locomotive was damaged by the impact with the animal, and smoke was released. The train had to be brought to a complete stop and the electricity cut off.
Travelers were evacuated to nearby Ath. They will be brought to Brussels by buses. According to the Flemish broadcaster, it remains to be seen whether travelers will reach their destination tonight.
Stuck in a stationary train for hours
The website of the Thalys reports delays of more than 2.5 hours on the route between Amsterdam Central and Paris. Some trains have also been canceled tonight.
Stories are circulating on Twitter of people who have been trapped in a stationary train for hours. Due to the power cut, travelers were stuck in stationary Thalys trains without air conditioning. A Thalys spokesperson told VRT that water has been distributed to stranded travelers.
Earlier this month, the Thalys also had problems due to a train failure. About two hundred passengers were then forced to spend the night in a stranded train at the Gare du Nord station in Paris.