Deadly Storm in Western Europe Disrupts Rail Services
Rail services have been severely hampered in Western Europe, particularly in France, as a violent winter storm hit the region during the weekend and also left over 50 dead. The storm named Xynthia, that has also affected Spain, Germany, Portugal and Belgium, hit the western coast in ear
Rail services have been severely hampered in Western Europe, particularly in France, as a violent winter storm hit the region during the weekend and also left over 50 dead.
The storm named Xynthia, that has also affected Spain, Germany, Portugal and Belgium, hit the western coast in early hours of Sunday 28 February accompanied by torrential rains and powerful winds and destroyed the Atlantic coast sea walls, according to Reuters.
The French high-speed TGV service has suffered severe disruptions as debris obstructed the rail network, and services in and out of Paris and other regions have either been shut down or delayed.
Scores of trains have been cancelled or delayed in Germany, particularly in the states of Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland, due to trees falling on overhead power lines, and Frankfurt’s central train station had been closed after winds reached 130km (80 miles) per hour.
According to weather forecasters the storm, deadlier even than France’s 1992 storm which killed 92 people, will lose power as it heads towards Denmark.