Thousands of travelers were stuck on a high-speed train overnight in France after electrical problems caused the trains to stop working.
National rail authority SNCF apologized for “a series of electrical supply incidents” that started Sunday afternoon and continued into the night, causing four high-speed trains connecting Bordeaux to other cities to get stuck on the tracks, according to the Associated Press.
Some passengers pleaded for water, food and fresh air, while others were evacuated for medical reasons, per the same report.
1h15 du matin. Toujours dans le train coincé en pleine voie. Départ de Biarritz à 15h55. Je vais passer toute la nuit avec ma femme et mon fils de 2 ans sans distribution d’eau et nourriture.
Voilà où dort mon fils en plein covid
Bravo @SNCF @ouisncf pic.twitter.com/AyS8mTHDJu— GEN1US (@NormanGenius) August 30, 2020
One passenger said he and his family had no food or water and that his son had to sleep on the floor of the train.
Passengers were taken back to their departing locations overnight and into Monday morning, then put on buses and other trains to reach their destination. SNCF is set to reimburse passengers for three times the cost of their tickets and masks, water and food, according to the AP.
The incident comes as millions of French people were to return to work and school this week, many returning Sunday by train from their vacations.
At least 60 kilometers of track suffered damage to high-power overhead cables and traffic isn’t expected to return to normal until Tuesday, per the same report.
An investigation is ongoing.