Passengers travelling on a Paris-to-Nice train faced a nightmare journey after being left stranded for nearly four hours inside a non-air-conditioned coach during an intense heatwave sweeping across France. Videos from the incident have now gone viral online, showing exhausted travellers stepping out onto railway tracks in search of shade and relief from the soaring temperatures.
The disruption is part of a wider rail crisis currently affecting several train routes across France amid extreme weather conditions. According to reports, the train came to a prolonged halt on the tracks while temperatures outside crossed dangerous levels due to the ongoing European heatwave.
Footage circulating on local media and social platforms captured distressed passengers gathering near the train, drinking water and juice while attempting to cool themselves under limited shaded areas. Rescue teams and emergency workers were later seen arriving at the scene to assist stranded travellers.
What worsened the situation further was the lack of air conditioning inside the affected coaches, leaving passengers trapped in uncomfortable and potentially risky heat conditions for hours. Several users online criticised the railway management after visuals from the train spread rapidly across social media.
The incident comes shortly after another major disruption in southern France, where a separate train was reportedly stalled for over eight hours inside a tunnel near Marseille following a fatal incident.
France is currently battling one of its earliest and most severe heatwaves in recent years. Authorities have issued orange heatwave alerts across multiple regions, warning residents about health risks linked to extreme temperatures.
Meteorologists say temperatures across parts of Western Europe, including France, the UK and Ireland, are running nearly 10 to 15 degrees Celsius above seasonal averages. In several areas, temperatures have crossed 35 degrees Celsius, with some regions breaking previous records unusually early in the season.
Experts have noted that the heatwave has arrived nearly 10 days earlier than expected, raising concerns over transport infrastructure, public safety and health preparedness during extreme weather conditions.
