-
Priests prepare to bless hundreds of tractors in France
The tradition has its roots in the Rogation days of prayer and fasting in western Christianity - and is gaining in popularity
-
Rise of 'natural wine' in France: what is it and is it any good?
Vigneron and winemaker Jonathan Hesford explains this alternative to over-manipulated products
-
Work finally starts on new high-speed train line Bordeaux to Toulouse
The €14 billion project is part of plans to improve public transport services in the south-west
'Bad joke' closes Reims train station on high alert
Reims train station (Grand-Est) was completely closed and all rail services stopped this weekend after a passenger made a bad joke.
According to reports, the alarm was raised just after 19h on Saturday, when - aboard carriage 15 of the 19h13 TGV to Paris - a passenger asked another passenger the time, and then replied - “Oh, well that’s OK, I still have time to blow everything up” (“Ah bah ça va, j’ai encore le temps de tout faire sauter”).
Unsure if the remark was serious, the first worried passenger then alerted police, putting Reims station on high alert.
The alarm sounded, and all train traffic in and out of the station was stopped. Staff and passengers were evacuated, and the “joker” in question was arrested.
Bomb specialists were called in from Châlons-en-Champagne, and the station was searched.
Investigations revealed that the “bomb threat” was genuinely just a “bad joke” - from none other than an ill-advised 16-year-old boy. Originally from the Lille area, he was kept in police custody overnight and questioned.
After two hours of alert at Reims, the all-clear was given and train traffic restarted around 21h15.
Stay informed:
Sign up to our free weekly e-newsletter
Subscribe to access all our online articles and receive our printed monthly newspaper The Connexion at your home. News analysis, features and practical help for English-speakers in France