Thursday, October 8th, proved to be a particularly challenging day for users of the RER D in Île-de-France, with several major incidents leading to service interruptions and significant delays.
On the Melun/Corbeil-Essonnes line, a train struck a tree that had fallen onto the tracks between Saint Fargeau and Ponthierry – Pringy stations around 5:30 AM. The incident caused damage to the overhead power line (catenary), requiring repairs that lasted throughout the day. Service was fully restored by 5:30 PM, following the implementation of road replacement transport.
Another tree fell onto the catenary between Ballancourt and La Ferté Alais on the Malesherbes / Corbeil-Essonnes axis around 6:00 AM. A mechanical excavator was needed to safely remove the obstruction without causing further damage to the installations. Removal operations concluded at 8:40 AM, allowing traffic to resume.
On the Melun via Combs La Ville branch, track renewal work between Lieusaint and Melun caused disruptions. The late evacuation of a work train limited traffic to a reduced number of tracks until 7:30 AM, resulting in longer journey times and train cancellations.
In the evening, around 6:00 PM, service was halted during peak hours in the Gare du Nord sector due to a person spotted on the roof of a train. This dangerous situation necessitated an emergency shutdown of the electrical supply, leading to cancellations and substantial delays.
Transilien has apologized to passengers for this difficult day, assuring that all teams, both in stations and operational centers, were mobilized to minimize the impact of these incidents on train circulation.
