Thousands of travelers experienced significant disruptions to their Christmas Eve celebrations as delays struck TGV trains traveling from the Southeast to Paris due to what the SNCF termed as an "accident de personne". The incident occurred on December 24, 2023, around 9 PM near the town of Crisenoy, located in the Seine-et-Marne region.
The accident involved the driver of one of the TGVs, who jumped from the moving train, leading to immediate delays for multiple services throughout the evening. According to reports from the SNCF, this unfortunate event caused major service interruptions affecting around 3,000 passengers across ten TGV trains, with delays ranging from one hour to as long as five hours.
Gertrude, one of the passengers stranded during this ordeal, shared her frustration: "We were supposed to spend Christmas with family... it's ruined," she lamented to BFMTV. She was among hundreds of travelers forced to spend their holiday stranded aboard delayed trains, missing their festive dinners.
By midnight, passengers had been informed about the gravity of the delays. Scheduled service updates indicated some connections could take upwards of five hours longer than expected. Among the trains delayed were the TGV inOui from Brussels to Lyon, which was predicted to arrive three hours late and the Ouigo train from Paris to Lyon Perrache, facing delays of 4 hours and 40 minutes. The TGV inOui from Montpellier to Paris was forecasted to be delayed by five hours.
Further complicate matters, the SNCF reported traffic interruptions were likely to continue as other trains had to reroute due to the incident, leading to add-ons of one to one and half hours to travel times for many services. Customers took to social media to express their frustrations with the lack of provisions during the wait. A disgruntled individual shared online, "I’m stuck on the TGV. No water, no food. Honestly, thanks for this Christmas Eve, SNCF." Others echoed similar sentiments, displeased with the service. One passenger noted, "It's outrageous on Christmas Eve."
Despite the chaos, the SNCF assured patrons on their website following the incident's resolution: "All customers were taken care of," referring to the accommodation protocols for those impacted, which typically included taxis and hotel stays for missed correspondences. They announced to passengers affected by this incident, especially those on festive journeys, would receive full refunds.
By 1 AM on December 25, service had begun to resume as the emergency services completed their work. SNCF later stated all affected trains eventually continued to their intended destinations. Morning updates confirmed traffic had returned to normal levels for TGV services connecting Paris with the Southeast.
While Christmas Eve was irrevocably altered for thousands of passengers, the SNCF's response to the crisis did alleviate some concerns among travelers. Still, many reflected on how the events of the evening overshadowed the holiday spirit they hoped to celebrate with family.
