Paris: A French high-speed train arrived in Paris 11 hours late Friday after around 500 passengers were stranded for hours in southwestern France and forced to spend the night aboard a train, local media reported. The ordeal began when passengers were halted and had to wait for three hours before being transferred to another train with the help of railway staff, security personnel, and firefighters. A pregnant woman experiencing contractions was evacuated during this time.

According to Anadolu Agency, passengers reached Dax at around 9 pm local time (1900GMT) and were later taken to Bordeaux. However, they faced further delays due to long-planned maintenance work on the high-speed line to Paris. This unforeseen circumstance forced them to spend the night aboard the train.

The stranded passengers eventually left Bordeaux at around 6.30 am local time (0430GMT) and arrived in Paris at around 8.30 am local time (0630GMT), as confirmed by SNCF. The railway operator assured that passengers would receive compensation equivalent to 200% of their ticket price as a form of reparation for the inconvenience caused.