A regional train (TER) traveling between Rouen and Caen derailed early Friday evening near Cléon, in Seine-Maritime. The train was carrying approximately 180 to 200 passengers. Emergency services were mobilized in large numbers, and the ORSEC emergency plan for "mass casualties" was activated. The death toll, still provisional Friday evening, changed as more people were treated.
The train derailed around 19:45 pm near Cléon
The accident occurred around 19:45 p.m. between Tourville-la-Rivière and Elbeuf-Saint-Aubin, near the town of Cléon. The TER train was traveling on the Rouen-Caen line when it derailed.
The initial figures released regarding the number of passengers on board varied slightly. The prefecture mentioned approximately 200 passengers, while Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot reported 180 passengers.
In the evening, Philippe Tabarot stated: "At this time, the provisional toll stands at approximately twenty injured." The minister also specified that 140 firefighters were deployed on site.
A more recent report broadcast Friday evening by BFM TV indicated 44 injured out of 186 passengers, including one person in critical condition. As these figures were released while rescue operations were ongoing, the toll remained subject to change.
The ORSEC plan has been activated.
Faced with the scale of the accident, the prefect of Seine-Maritime activated the departmental operational center at 20 p.m. and triggered the ORSEC NOVI plan, a system designed to organize rescue efforts when an event is likely to cause a large number of victims.
Firefighters, law enforcement, and railway teams were deployed around the train. Uninjured passengers gradually left the train while the injured were examined and treated near the accident site.
The prefecture has asked the population to avoid the Cléon and Tourville-la-Rivière area so as not to hinder the intervention of the emergency services.
The causes of the derailment are not yet known.
As of Friday evening, no official cause had yet been given to explain the TER train's derailment. The precise circumstances of the derailment therefore still need to be established.
Images taken at the scene show a train stopped at the edge of the tracks, with several carriages having left their normal position on the railway network. Despite the large-scale rescue operation, no fatalities were reported in the first few hours following the accident.
The accident is reminiscent of another rail incident that occurred in Normandy last January: traffic between Caen and Cherbourg was completely interrupted after a freight train accident . In May 2025, a TGV carrying 508 passengers also derailed after severe storms in Lot-et-Garonne , without causing any injuries.
Rail traffic severely disrupted
The derailment caused the interruption of rail traffic between Rouen and Caen in both directions . Disruptions also affected other lines in the region, notably Paris -Rouen-Le Havre and Rouen-Amiens.
Power to the line was cut to allow rescue teams to work safely. Operations to assist passengers and secure the train were expected to continue into the evening.
