The SNCF Grenoble-Valence line stopped after the cables are sabotaged
Le Dauphiné, March 23, 2023
Telecom and signal cables were cut in three places in Vinay and Saint-Hilaire-du-Rosier on Tuesday mid-day. These acts have caused a total halt to rail traffic on this line, which is not expected to reopen until Thursday.
According to our information, these actions were carried out at three different points on the line: at kilometre point (KP) 59, located in the municipality of Vinay, at KP 38.100, located in Saint-Hilaire-du-Rosier, and 500 metres further north, at KP 38.600. Probably carried out by people who were familiar with the technical characteristics and function of these cables, the sabotage involved Telecom installations and the power supply to the signalling system of this railroad line: tools without which safety can no longer be guaranteed.
When asked about this, the SNCF did not comment, confirming only that it had filed a report. “The traffic should be able to be restored Thursday morning,” said a representative of the SNCF, repair work is underway. In the meantime, a few replacement buses are providing the Grenoble-Valence link, “but we have urged our customers to find an alternative means of transport,” the same official explained.
In the context of radicalization of the forms of protest against the pension reform, these actions raise questions, especially since this sabotage occurred the day after the government used Article 49.3, but no tangible evidence currently allows the investigation to be directed towards a specific direction.