Snow Disrupt Train Services between Paris & Marseille

Train services in France experienced disruptions on Thursday and Friday due to snowfall and ice formation, particularly on the Paris–Marseille route, causing major delays for several trains heading toward the southeast of the country.

The weather led to noticeable slowdowns on high-speed rail lines, with multiple services affected as trains were forced to reduce speed for safety reasons. 

The disruptions resulted in substantial delays for passengers traveling between northern and southern France.

Among the most affected services was High-Speed Train No. 6103, which departed from Paris toward Marseille’s Saint-Charles station. 

The train arrived approximately two hours later than its scheduled time, marking one of the longest delays recorded during the disruption.

According to the French newspaper La Provence, the Paris–Marseille route was not the only one impacted by the adverse weather. 

Several other high-speed trains traveling to Avignon, Aix-en-Provence, and Marseille were delayed, with delays ranging from 20 minutes to up to two hours.

French rail booking platform Gares & Connexions explained that the primary cause of the disruption was snowfall and ice accumulation on the tracks. 

As a precautionary measure, trains were required to reduce speed along the section between Mâcon and Vignieu, in the Côte-d’Or department within the Bourgogne–Franche-Comté region. 

While necessary to ensure passenger safety, these measures directly affected arrival times.

In response to the extreme weather conditions, teams from the French National Railway Company were deployed to clear snow from the tracks and secure rail operations. 

The company confirmed that by Thursday afternoon, high-speed train traffic between northern and southern France had returned to normal, with no further delays reported.

These disruptions occurred amid a broader winter cold wave affecting several regions across France, highlighting the vulnerability of rail transport networks to extreme weather conditions despite significant infrastructure investments.

Rail authorities reassured passengers that safety remains the top priority, even if it requires temporary speed reductions or delays. 

Travelers were advised to follow real-time updates through official platforms before heading to stations, in order to avoid potential disruptions until weather conditions fully improve and services operate normally again.