Tunnel collapse cuts France-Germany rail link

Repairs to a collapsed tunnel that has blocked the rail link between Strasbourg and Germany will take until at least August 26, SNCF has said.

The partial collapse occurred during maintenance work on the tunnel, and mean that all TGV and ICE services between the two countries have been cancelled.

TGVs from Paris now have to terminate at the Moselle town of Forbach. Seven of the 18 daily services between the capital and the Bas-Rhin city have been cut until the tunnel reopens.

"Customers from Strasbourg who have booked to travel on international trains to Germany are invited to postpone their journey or to take regional trains to Baden Baden and then road substitutes to Karlsruhe," SNCF said in a statement.