Covid-19 coronavirus: French passengers stuck for over 24 hours in fast train after power cut

A high-speed TGV train. Photo / AP file

Two thousand passengers were trapped on three high-speed French TGV trains after a massive power outage on a line to Paris from the Spanish border.

One train arrived in the French capital more than a day late, prompting furious travellers to warn they were stuck in potential Covid-19 clusters without food, drink or toilet paper.

The train from Hendaye carried hundreds of holidaymakers back to the French capital for la rentrée - the return to work and school after the long summer.

It was due to leave shortly before midday on Sunday and arrive in the French capital that afternoon after a five-hour journey.

But it came to a halt in the remote Landes region well before reaching Bordeaux due to an "exceptional" succession of electrical faults on the line, according to SNCF, the national operator.

After changing trains mid-track, passengers finally arrived Paris more than 24 hours late.

SNCF said the cause was broken overhead lines, or catenaries, over a 60km stretch.

"We had a series of exceptional events," said Jean-Luc Gary, local Nouvelle-Aquitaine head of SNCF Réseau, which operates the tracks. "Our first thoughts to go to the passengers. An inquiry has is underway."

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

Two other trains that left Hendaye experienced huge delays with passengers finally wheeled back to their departure station overnight then driven to Bordeaux.

Furious passengers denounced the "appalling" handling of the incidents by SNCF, which has pledged refunds three times the original price of the ticket by way of compensation.

"We are in a train that left Biarritz at 12.30pm and it's now 3am. 1,100 passengers on board: could we have masks so as not to add France's biggest cluster to the other records of this nightmarish train ride?," asked one passenger on Twitter.

"SNCF has left us like dogs," said a second.

Another showed a picture of his two-year old son asleep on the floor "mid-Covid".

Marjolaine, a stricken passenger from another stricken train, said: "It was hell: no more bog roll, no grub, only a tiny bottle of water. It was hot with masks on and they forced us to stay on board when we could have got out."

"We didn't know whether we'd die first from hunger, thirst, Covid or hygiene," she told France Info.

Some kept their sense of humour, with one passenger noting: "What I regret most is not seeing my children grow up."