Sawt Falasteen - French storm damage leaves rail passengers stranded

The disruption, expected to affect a total of 80,000 ticket holders, came only days after sabotage on electrical lines caused mayhem across France's TGV high-speed rail network.

All trains were returned to their depots after a violent storm in the Yonne region southeast of Paris caused trees to fall on tracks, the operator said.

A TGV train travelling at speed rammed a tree, said Severine Lepere, deputy director-general for the SNCF's operations in the Paris region.

"The front of the train was damaged, which prevented it from continuing its journey," she said. Nobody was hurt, she added.

The SNCF said that the power supply on the busy southeastern line had also been affected.

While the Paris-Lyon line was brought to a complete halt, the adjacent Paris-Marseille line was functioning but suffering delays, Lepere said.

Heavy storms in the Yonne region since early on Wednesday have caused considerable damage, with falling trees also blocking roads.

SNCF said it did not know when the tracks would be cleared, and asked passengers with bookings to stay at home. Tickets could be rebooked or refunded, it said.

It was not clear who carried out the attacks and if they were intentionally timed to disrupt France's hosting of the event.

The incidents affected France's Atlantic, northern and eastern lines, leading to mass cancellations and delays at a time of particularly heavy traffic for summer holiday travel.

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R.Shaban--SF-PST