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To Bordeaux twice this year, and two very different experiences. In early March, heading south to Bordeaux on a Friday evening on the last Intercité service of the day from Nantes; sudden braking and flying ballast hitting the windows of the Corail coaches suggest all is not well. In fact the train has hit a car on a gated level crossing at considerable speed around 60km north of Bordeaux.
The car’s driver and only occupant were sadly killed (probably instantaneously given the train’s speed), but fortunately no-one on the train was injured at all; the train driver was later treated for shock. That an eight-coach train with two heavy diesel locos was scarcely damaged hitting a car isn’t remarkable; however, the reaction of SNCF (French Railways) and the French authorities was exemplary.
The train’s guard was quickly joined by an SNCF manager travelling off duty, who put her name badge on and started to help out, sharing what information there was and in time co-ordinating the removal of all the 120 or so passengers. The train had come to a stop a kilometre or so outside a small village and some distance from any major town. It was pitch dark with torrential rain falling the entire time! Neverth…
