Severe icing on catenary lines and frozen track switches slowed traffic into Paris-Gare-du-Nord on the morning of 7 January, prompting SNCF Réseau to impose 60 km/h speed restrictions on approaches within 30 km of the station. Eurostar cancelled two morning departures to London St Pancras and combined several services to Brussels.
Nightjet operator ÖBB terminated its Vienna–Paris service early at Wörgl, bussing passengers onward to Munich; the final leg to Paris was cancelled entirely. Within France, TER Hauts-de-France curtailed regional runs, while TGV-Inoui trains operated with average delays of 40 minutes.
If the resulting diversions oblige passengers to reroute through alternate Schengen gateways or secure emergency transit documentation, VisaHQ can step in to fast-track visa extensions and same-day e-visas via its dedicated French portal (https://www.visahq.com/france/), offering courier pick-up and real-time status updates that are particularly valuable when winter rail schedules are in flux.
![Snow Disrupts Gare du Nord and Eurostar Services, SNCF Warns of Knock-on Delays]()
Although the national grid held, platform heaters struggled to keep points free of ice, forcing manual de-icing teams onto exposed track. SNCF warned that even minor incidents, such as a disabled train, could cascade into network-wide disruption because contingency pathways are saturated.
Business travellers heading to CBDs north of Paris were advised to allow an extra 90 minutes and carry proof of essential-travel status in case of selective boarding measures. Corporate global-mobility teams should review remote-work policies and ensure expatriate assignees have updated emergency contacts, especially those commuting daily from Lille or Amiens.
Rail freight suffered too: Channel Tunnel intermodal firm VIIA said overnight refrigerated containers from Spain missed Eurotunnel slots, risking spoilage penalties. Forwarders anticipate backlogs lasting 48 hours once the thaw begins.
Nightjet operator ÖBB terminated its Vienna–Paris service early at Wörgl, bussing passengers onward to Munich; the final leg to Paris was cancelled entirely. Within France, TER Hauts-de-France curtailed regional runs, while TGV-Inoui trains operated with average delays of 40 minutes.
If the resulting diversions oblige passengers to reroute through alternate Schengen gateways or secure emergency transit documentation, VisaHQ can step in to fast-track visa extensions and same-day e-visas via its dedicated French portal (https://www.visahq.com/france/), offering courier pick-up and real-time status updates that are particularly valuable when winter rail schedules are in flux.
Although the national grid held, platform heaters struggled to keep points free of ice, forcing manual de-icing teams onto exposed track. SNCF warned that even minor incidents, such as a disabled train, could cascade into network-wide disruption because contingency pathways are saturated.
Business travellers heading to CBDs north of Paris were advised to allow an extra 90 minutes and carry proof of essential-travel status in case of selective boarding measures. Corporate global-mobility teams should review remote-work policies and ensure expatriate assignees have updated emergency contacts, especially those commuting daily from Lille or Amiens.
Rail freight suffered too: Channel Tunnel intermodal firm VIIA said overnight refrigerated containers from Spain missed Eurotunnel slots, risking spoilage penalties. Forwarders anticipate backlogs lasting 48 hours once the thaw begins.
