French high-speed train collides with truck, killing driver and critically injuring two

A deadly collision involving one of France’s iconic high-speed trains unfolded in northern France this morning when a TGV struck a truck at a crossing, leaving the train’s driver dead and two people critically injured, officials said.

The crash happened at about 7am local time (6am Irish time) between Bethune and Lens in the Pas-de-Calais region, according to rail operator SNCF.

In an updated toll, the prefecture said two people were in critical condition and 11 others suffered less serious injuries. Earlier official reports had put the number of injured at 27.

Images posted on X by Fabien Villedieu of the Sud-Rail trade union showed emergency crews inspecting the crushed front end of the TGV.

Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said on X that he was travelling to the scene alongside the head of the SNCF.

Neither SNCF nor the prefecture gave further details on how the crash occurred.

SNCF said train traffic between Bethune and Lens would remain suspended until at least later today.

Serious accidents on France’s high-speed rail network are uncommon, especially when compared with incidents on conventional railway lines.

France’s first Train a Grande Vitesse, or TGV, became a symbol of the country’s transport ambitions after entering service in 1981 and breaking world speed records.

The earliest TGV model reached speeds of up to 380km/h, slashing travel times between Paris and other French cities from all-day journeys — and in some cases overnight trips — to just a matter of hours.

Long celebrated as a showcase for French engineering and industrial know-how, TGV technology has since been exported to a number of countries, including South Korea, Spain, the United States and Italy.