Overview
- A TER derailed near Cléon on September 11, injuring 44 people and leaving teams rebuilding about 450 metres of track while prosecutors probe whether a metal object on the line caused the crash.
- On September 21 a TER conductor felt an abnormal jolt, stopped the train and found a broken éclisse—a metal plate that joins two rails—which maintenance crews repaired in about 20 to 30 minutes.
- Staff at the Caen depot exercised their legal right of withdrawal on September 23, triggering major cancellations and delays across Normandy as unions pushed for an immediate safety response.
- SNCF Réseau has called the éclisse discovery a "non-incident" and said track continuity was preserved, a position that unions strongly dispute as understating the derailment risk.
- Unions link the events to long-term underinvestment in network maintenance, are demanding extra resources, and warn that repairs and judicial investigations into the Cléon derailment are ongoing and could affect regional service levels.