resumption of extremely limited traffic from this Tuesday morning
Trains can once again run at Carcassonne station. A freight train derailed on Wednesday at this Aude station. Since then, traffic has been completely interrupted between Castelnaudary and Narbonne
. A paralysis which obviously affected the traffic of the main lines and the TGV between Toulouse and Montpellier on the Toulouse – Lyon and Bordeaux Marseille line. But it’s also been extremely complicated since last Thursday for the TER in the south-east of Toulouse. And if the first trains will pass this Tuesday, we are very far from a normal resumption of traffic.
20-25% of mainline traffic
The SNCF, itself, tries to weight the word recovery. Because she knows, because it risks disappointing people. About 20% of TGV traffic is circulating. One train out of 3 on the TGV Lyon Toulouse line. One in three trains also for the TGV Marseille-Lyon cross-section.
Slowing down for safety
In fact, it is that physically, only a train or two maximum can pass each hour by the station of Carcassonne. Only one lane has been opened so far for both directions of traffic. The trains have to share this track, which explains why there are so few of them. Traffic will also be extremely lent. The few trains running today will be slowed down as a safety measure, but also to allow trains arriving in the other direction to pass regularly. For main lines, the first circular train in the direction Montpellier Toulouse at 2:12 p.m. and then 3:06 p.m. But that will be it. In the other direction Toulouse Montpellier there will also be two main line trains at 4:46 p.m. and 5:44 p.m.
As for the daily trains, between Toulouse and Lauragais in particular, it is not better. It’s even worse than the last few days. No train or bus before 10:30 a.m. this morning on the Castelnaudary Toulouse axis. The first train from Castelnaudary leaves at 10:30 am. In the other direction, there is a train from Toulouse to Villefranche at 8:42. No doubt, because the teams are focused on the recovery in Carcassonne. These last days it was better with two trains in the morning at least (against 9 usual). In any case, the SNCF will do everything so that this daily line can really resume by the weekend. All without warranty of course.
Refresh every day at 5 p.m.
In any case, the only advice is to watch the next day’s traffic only from 5 p.m. the day before your departure. Otherwise, on the apps and other SNCF sites, trains are indicated but will not be departing. The trains indicated as complete are also those which are not yet open for sale.