Business

Train from Hendaye to Paris delayed by 12 hours due to lightning strike

Hundreds of passengers on a TGV from Hendaye to Paris were stranded for twelve hours due to a catenary failure.

21 August 2026Tagblick Newsdesk

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Archive photo: Train from Hendaye to Paris delayed by 12 hours due to lightning strike — Archive photoPhoto: AdrienChd · Flickr · BY-SA

A TGV connecting Hendaye (Pyrénées-Atlantiques) to Paris suffered a delay of nearly 12 hours due to a catenary failure caused by a lightning strike. The events began when the train, which departed on Thursday at 4 PM, could not continue its journey to the capital due to severe weather in the Southwest of France.

The 500 passengers on board were forced to spend the night at Bordeaux station, with some of them sleeping on the floor. They only managed to reach Bordeaux at 2 AM and 4 AM, before they could take the first trains to Paris starting at 5 AM.

Rail traffic was heavily disrupted, resulting in numerous train cancellations in the Basque Country and from Tarbes. Affected passengers expressed their frustration with the situation.

This delay was reported by several outlets, including BFM Business, 20 Minutes, and franceinfo, highlighting the significant impact of storms on rail services. Passengers faced difficult conditions during this prolonged wait at the station.

The train finally departed Bordeaux for Paris around 6 AM on Friday, August 21, marking the end of a challenging experience for many travelers.

This incident illustrates the vulnerability of the rail network to extreme weather conditions, a topic that deserves particular attention regarding infrastructure management and passenger safety.

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