Unexploded WWII Bomb Found Near Paris Halts Eurostar Trains

Advisors with clients traveling between London and Paris on Friday faced disruptions due to the discovery of a World War II-era bomb.

Trains were halted at Paris Gare du Nord, one of Europe’s main transit hubs, after an object found on the tracks was identified as an unexploded bomb from World War II. According to Paris police, workers in Saint-Denis, a suburb north of Paris, discovered the bomb along the tracks early Friday morning.

The discovery forced Eurostar to suspend all train traffic into and out of Paris Gare du Nord, affecting thousands of passengers on what is typically the busiest travel day of the week. Many Parisians leave the city for the holiday, while travelers from across Europe arrive to spend the weekend in Paris.

Other main routes, including Brussels–Marne-la-Vallée, London–Brussels, and London–Amsterdam, continued operating as normal.

“As a result of finding this unexploded WW2 bomb, all Eurostar trains are cancelled to and from Paris today,” Eurostar said in an alert early Friday.

Trains on France’s national railway, SNCF, were also halted. SNCF is asking passengers to change their plans as disruptions are expected to last through at least Friday night.

Eurostar is allowing affected travelers to change their booking to a different time or date without a fee or cancel for either a future travel credit or a full refund. Those opting for a full refund will forfeit booking and exchange fees.

Unexploded bombs from World War II—and even World War I—are not uncommon discoveries in France, though finding one this close to Paris is rare. Paris police have assured residents of Saint-Denis that there is no risk of the bomb exploding and that a team is on-site to safely remove it.

Last year, Miyazaki Airport, a regional airport in Japan’s Miyazaki Prefecture, was forced to close after a U.S. bombshell from World War II exploded near its runway.