Rail services on the Rouen-Caen route in Normandy were thrown into disarray after a passenger train derailed near the commune of Cléon on Friday evening, leaving at least 44 people injured. Authorities say one person was seriously hurt, and an 18-year-old woman was airlifted by helicopter to hospital in critical condition.
Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot told officials there were 180 passengers on board the service when it left the tracks shortly before 20:00 local time (18:00 GMT) on 11 September 2026. Local emergency planners activated a mass-casualty response plan and deployed around 140 firefighters alongside other rescue teams to the scene just south of Rouen.
Photographs from the site showed travellers evacuating the damaged train, and French media reported that three carriages overturned during the incident. France’s state-owned rail operator SNCF warned of "significant disruptions" across services in the area and said replacement buses would be provided for affected passengers.
Officials closed and sealed off the immediate crash zone while emergency crews worked, and the public was asked to avoid the locality to allow responders to operate. The cause of the derailment was not immediately known and authorities have not released further details about how the train came off the tracks.
On the ground, rescuers focused on stabilising injured people and moving them to hospital, while SNCF arranged alternative transport for travellers left stranded by the stoppage. With the area cordoned and response teams still at work late into the evening, disruptions to regional rail schedules are expected to persist as recovery operations continue and replacement bus services run.
