Storm disrupts high-speed trains from Paris, leaving travelers stranded during Olympics

PARIS (AP) — A storm Wednesday interrupted all high-speed train traffic connecting Paris to the southeast of the country as well as Switzerland in both directions, France’s rail company said, leaving thousands of travelers stranded amid the Olympics and departures for summer vacation.

The SNCF said all the fast trains leaving from and arriving at the Gare de Lyon train station in the French capital were immobilized due to a tree that fell on the tracks and was hit by a train in Burgundy, southeast of the French capital. Regular-speed trains use separate tracks and haven’t been affected.

Authorities cut the power off the track and a logging operation has already started to remove the tree and repair the electrical system, the SNCF said, adding that all passengers on that line were being brought back to a station in order to help people find alternatives travel modes, the company added.

“The priority remains to bring customers stranded in trains back (to stations),” the company said.

It said no trains will run on the high-speed line before 5 p.m. (1500 GMT). Even then, trains will start departing “very gradually” and traffic will remain “very disrupted,” the company warned.

This comes after France’s train traffic was severely disrupted last week after acts of sabotage ahead of the Olympic Games opening ceremony. High-speed train services had been fully restored earlier this week.

National weather agency Meteo France warned about a risk of “locally strong” thunderstorms, including heavy rains and wind, in most French regions on Wednesday. The storm warning has been placed on the lower level on a three-tier scale in the Paris region, and on the middle level in most parts of central and southeastern France.

Most of France was also under heat warnings Wednesday for the third consecutive day, with temperatures in Paris hitting 31 degrees Celsius (88 degrees Fahrenheit), Meteo France said.