Overview
- A TGV that left Hendaye Thursday evening was immobilized between Ychoux and Morcenx after an electrical supply defect that SNCF Réseau says was very probably caused by lightning.
- About 500 passengers were transshipped and taken back to Dax before boarding a substitute train, which reached Bordeaux in the night but could not continue because planned night works had closed the high-speed line.
- The substitute service waited in Bordeaux overnight and then resumed at first light, delivering the affected train to Paris with roughly 11.5 to 12 hours of delay, with departures restarting between about 05:00 and 06:00 and arrivals around 08:30–08:40.
- Passengers described difficult conditions for children, claustrophobic people and a pregnant woman, while SNCF provided night kits, opened the Grand Voyageurs lounge, guarded the train and announced an exceptional compensation of 200% of the ticket price.
- The lightning impact also disrupted regional traffic in the Landes and Pays Basque and caused long delays on other services, and SNCF says it expects traffic to return to normal by early afternoon with some residual delays.