French Prosecutors Probe Sabotage in Normandy Train Derailment That Injured 44
French prosecutors are investigating whether sabotage caused a passenger train to derail in northwestern France on Friday evening, an accident that injured 44 people and left many passengers badly shaken.
The train, carrying 186 passengers, was traveling between the Normandy cities of Rouen and Caen when it left the tracks around 7:45 p.m. local time (1745 GMT) near a Renault factory in the town of Cleon, authorities said.
One carriage tipped onto its side and four others came off the rails, according to officials.
Rouen prosecutor Sebastien Gallois said a fragment of rail was found on the track, and investigators are treating the possibility of a malicious act as their main line of inquiry. The reason the fragment was there remains unknown, he said, adding that the investigation would need to determine what happened.
Drug and alcohol tests on the train driver came back negative, Gallois said.
Emergency crews launched a mass-casualty response, deploying 130 firefighters, five medical teams and 80 vehicles. An AFP photographer saw railway staff working around the train on Saturday morning.
Gallois said 44 people were injured, including an 18-year-old woman who was evacuated in critical condition. By Saturday, she was no longer in life-threatening danger but remained hospitalized.
Cleon Mayor Melanie Delacour said victims were in a state of shock. She described how windows on carriages that stayed upright shattered, and how stones flew into the cars because of the train's speed.
Some victims told her they would never take the train again, Delacour said, calling the derailment a tragedy that could have become a disaster on a much larger scale.
One passenger, 24-year-old Louis, told ICI Normandie radio that the accident was really shocking. He said there were a few jolts before the movement became stronger over about three seconds, and that he could no longer stay in his seat. The windows partially shattered and stones from the track entered the carriage, he said.
I am still shaking, he added.
SNCF Reseau, which manages the French rail network, initially suspended traffic on the line and cut power to the tracks so emergency services could work. The operator said the accident caused major disruptions between Rouen and Caen and between Caen and Le Havre in both directions.
A spokesperson for SNCF Reseau said Saturday that services had resumed.
The train will not be lifted from the line until the public prosecutor allows it, as the investigation into the cause of the derailment continues. SNCF said it would offer 'full cooperation in complete transparency' to the inquiry.
The suspected sabotage has focused attention on rail security in France, where regional lines carry thousands of commuters, students and business travelers each day. While the investigation is still at an early stage, any confirmation of deliberate interference would deepen concerns about protecting tracks and infrastructure, particularly on routes that are difficult to monitor around the clock.
The Rouen-Caen corridor is a key regional link across Normandy and connects with services toward Le Havre, meaning even a temporary shutdown can disrupt local travel and broader connections across the region. For passengers, the immediate concern is safety; for investigators, the task is to determine how a piece of rail ended up on the track and whether anyone intended to cause harm.