Overview
- A regional train that struck a heavy goods vehicle at the Dramont level crossing in Saint‑Raphaël on Wednesday morning left the truck driver dead and about 20 passengers lightly injured, and a trailer fire was quickly put out.
- Service between Saint‑Raphaël and Cannes remains suspended as SNCF Réseau repairs damaged overhead power lines, track, and the crossing, and the manager says trains are due to resume Thursday at 5 p.m.
- Prosecutors opened an inquiry for homicide and involuntary injuries, assigning the Fréjus judicial police with the labor inspectorate, after reports the truck became stuck on the rails as barriers lowered and the driver tried to free it.
- Safety questions focus on the site’s geometry after a 2024 SNCF list flagged the crossing as hard to clear, while the company says the barriers worked and the location is not on its priority removal list pending checks on rule compliance.
- Initial reports cited no injuries and 259 passengers, but authorities by evening confirmed 263 onboard with around 20 minor injuries, and the crash deepened disruptions on the Marseille–Nice corridor following a separate incident Tuesday in Saint‑Cyr‑sur‑Mer.