The reopening of the French Caen–Cherbourg railway line is not expected before around four weeks. According to the latest updates from Sncf Réseau, the damage caused by the 11 January 2026 derailment requires complex structural repairs and non-compressible technical timelines. Current operations are focused first on recovering the derailed train and then on fully restoring the railway infrastructure, with the aim of resuming traffic under full safety conditions.
At the derailment site, near Carentan-les-Marais, around 500 metres of track have been damaged, while the overhead electrification system has suffered extensive damage over several hundred metres. In-depth inspections are also under way on engineering structures along the affected section, including bridges and supporting works, to rule out any structural issues. Only once these assessments are complete will it be possible to move to the final phase of works, involving the reconstruction of the trackbed, the installation of new rails and the restoration of the catenary.
The first phase of the works is dedicated to removing the derailed wagons. For this operation, Sncf Réseau has deployed two Kirow railway cranes, the only two available in France capable of lifting loads of this size. The train, with a total weight exceeding 1,500 tonnes, must be progressively cleared of the road trailers it was carrying before it can be realigned or removed. The cranes, which arrived on site on 13 January from their base in Dijon, are a critical step in enabling access to the railway formation and allowing infrastructure repairs to begin.
Alongside operational activities, investigations into the causes of the derailment are continuing. The Bureau d’Enquêtes sur les Accidents de Transport Terrestre, an independent technical body, has opened a formal inquiry to reconstruct the circumstances of the incident and identify any determining technical or environmental factors. At present, no preliminary conclusions or official hypotheses have been released. This investigation runs in parallel with an internal inquiry launched by Sncf Réseau, which is focusing in particular on the condition of the track, ballast and railway platform at the accident site.
Among the factors under scrutiny is the meteorological context in the days leading up to the derailment. Between 8 and 9 January, Normandy was hit by Storm Goretti, with gusts reaching up to 152.6 kilometres per hour recorded in Cherbourg. Heavy rainfall and strong winds caused widespread damage across the regional rail network, leading to the temporary suspension of services. Although weather conditions had returned to normal at the time of the derailment, investigators are assessing whether such intense events may have indirectly affected the stability of the ground or railway installations.
The derailment occurred on Sunday 11 January 2026 at around 3.00 pm, shortly after the train passed through Carentan station. Of the 17 wagons making up the train, 15 left the tracks, although none fully overturned. The incident caused no injuries and no release of hazardous materials, but it resulted in a complete suspension of rail traffic between Cherbourg and Lison, effectively isolating the northern end of the Cotentin peninsula.
The train involved was part of the rolling motorway service between Cherbourg and Bayonne, inaugurated in July 2025. This is an intermodal connection designed to transport road trailers by rail along an axis of around 1,000 kilometres. The train consisted of Lohr-type wagons, specifically designed for horizontal loading of semi-trailers, and was hauled by a Captrain locomotive. The service is operated on behalf of Brittany Ferries, which has invested more than €30 million in the project, including rolling stock and intermodal terminals. The closure of the Caen–Cherbourg line therefore prevents the operation of this rolling motorway, with repercussions for Cherbourg’s port logistics and sea–rail intermodal flows.
A.I.
