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WEATHER

Storms in northern France lead to train disruption and power cuts

Storm Aurora has left a trail of destruction across northern France and Paris, with fallen trees cutting power to 250,000 people and widespread train delays and cancellations.

Published: 21 October 2021 09:06 CEST
A house in Brittany, France, destroyed by Storm Aurore.
A house in Brittany destroyed by Storm Aurore. Photo: Fred Tanneau/AFP

The storm hit northern France on Wednesday evening, with winds of up to 175km/h recorded overnight.

On Thursday morning 250,000 households were without electricity, mostly in Normandy and Brittany.

In Normandy – where winds of 175km/h were recorded in the coastal town of Fécamp – no trains will run until 10am on Thursday while rail workers inspect the lines for fallen trees.

The towns of Heuqueville and Octeville-sur-Mer saw roofs blown off, local fire chiefs reported, while roads were also blocked by fallen trees.

In Brittany winds of up to 140km/h were recorded in Finistère, where an uninhabited house collapsed and the roof of the Plozévet town hall was blown off.

A fallen tree in Plozevet, Brittany. Photo by Fred TANNEAU / AFP

In the Paris region transport is severely disrupted on the suburban RER and Transilien lines due to fallen trees on the tracks, while parks including the Jardin du Luxembourg are also closed while storm damage is assessed.

According to information from SNCF and RATP:

RER A to the west of Paris, between Nanterre-Préfecture and Cergy-Le Haut/Poissy, is disrupted

RER C is not running between Pereire Levallois and Pontoise, between Massy-Palaiseau and Savigny-sur-Orge, and between Versailles Château/Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines and Champ-de-Mars Tour Eiffel.

RER D traffic is interrupted between Goussainville and Creil.

For all these lines, traffic is expected to resume at 10am.

RER B has slight disruption along the line.

RER E traffic is severely slowed down until 9am. 

Transilien Line U has disruptions along the line

Line H is disrupted between Persan-Beaumont and Creil, between Pontoise and Ermont, between Montsoult and Sarcelles, and between Saint-Leu and Valmondois, until 10am.

Line K traffic is disrupted between Crépy-en-Valois and Mitry-Claye, until 12pm.

Line L no trains are running between Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche, Forêt de Marly and Saint-Cloud, and between Cergy-le-Haut and Nanterre-Université.

Line P traffic is disrupted between Esbly and Crécy-la-Chapelle until midday, and disrupted between Paris Est and Provins, and between Paris and Coulommiers until 9.15am.

Lines J, N and R are severely disrupted until 10am.

Mainline trains coming in and out of Paris could also be disrupted, SNCF has warned.

In Grand Est trains are also disrupted in the areas of Nancy, Strasbourg and Champagne-Ardennes and this is likely to continue until midday.

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EU

How would a ‘youth mobility scheme’ between the UK and EU really work?

The EU and the UK could enter into a 'youth mobility' scheme allowing young people to move countries to work, study and live. Here's what we know about the proposal.

Published: 18 April 2024 17:09 CEST
How would a 'youth mobility scheme' between the UK and EU really work?

Across the 27 countries of the EU, people of all ages can move countries to work, study, spend a long visit or chase the possibility of love – and all this is possible thanks to EU freedom of movement.

That freedom no longer extends to the UK. As a result of Brexit, a UK national who wants to move to an EU country, or an EU citizen who wants to move to the UK, will need a visa in order to do so.

However, a new ‘mobility scheme’ could re-create some elements of freedom of movement, if the EU and UK can come to an agreement.

The European Commission on Thursday announced proposals for a ‘youth mobility scheme’.

Who would benefit?

First things first, it’s only for the youngsters, older people will have to continue with the time-consuming and often expensive process of getting a visa for study, work or visiting.

The Commission’s proposal is for a scheme that covers people aged 18 to 30. 

Their reasoning is: “The withdrawal of the UK from the EU has resulted in decreased mobility between the EU and the UK. This situation has particularly affected the opportunities for young people to experience life on the other side of the Channel and to benefit from youth, cultural, educational, research and training exchanges.

“The proposal seeks to address in an innovative way the main barriers to mobility for young people experienced today and create a right for young people to travel from the EU to the UK and vice-versa more easily and for a longer period of time.”

How would it work?

We’re still at an early stage, but the proposal is to allow extended stays – for young people to be able to spend up to four years in the EU or UK – under a special type of visa or residency permit. It does not, therefore, replicate the paperwork-free travel of the pre-Brexit era.

The Commission states that travel should not be ‘purpose bound’ to allow young people to undertake a variety of activities while they are abroad.

Under the visa system, people must travel to a country for a specific purpose which has been arranged before they leave – ie in order to study they need a student visa which requires proof of enrolment on a course, or if they intend to work they need a working visa which often requires sponsorship from an employer.

The proposal would allow young people to spend their time in a variety of ways – perhaps some time working, a period of study and then some time travelling or just relaxing.

It would also not be subject to national or Bloc-wide quotas.

It seems that some kind of visa or residency permit would still be required – but it would be issued for up to four years and could be used for a variety of activities.

Fees for this should not be “excessive” – and the UK’s health surcharge would not apply to people travelling under this scheme.

Are there conditions?

Other than the age qualification, the proposal is that young people would have to meet other criteria, including having comprehensive health insurance, plus financial criteria to ensure that they will be able to support themselves while abroad.

The visa/residency permit could be rejected on the ground of threats to public policy, public security or public health.

Will this happen soon?

Slow down – what’s happened today is that the European Commission has made a recommendation to open negotiations.

This now needs to be discussed in the Council of Europe.

If the Council agrees then, and only then, will the EU open negotiations with the UK on the subject. The scheme could then only become a reality if the EU and UK come to an agreement on the terms of the scheme, and then refine the fine details.

Basically we’re talking years if it happens at all, and there’s plenty of steps along the way that could derail the whole process.

Don’t start packing just yet.

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