Passenger train derails in France leaving at least 44 injured

11 September 2026, 22: 11 BST. Updated 1 hour ago.

Key points

• Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot remarked 180 passengers were on board the train that was operating between Rouen and Caen in Normandy.
• The local authorities activated a mass-casualty response plan after the crash shortly before 20: 00 local time (18: 00 GMT).
• After a passenger train derailed in northern France, local office-holders have noted, at least 44 individuals have been injured, including one seriously.
• An 18-year-old woman was airlifted in critical condition by helicopter to hospital.
• Photographs afterwards emerged showing passengers leaving the crashed train, with French media reporting that three carriages overturned.

Meanwhile, an 18-year-old woman was airlifted in critical condition by helicopter to hospital.

He continued that 140 firefighters and other emergency teams were being deployed to the scene of the crash on Friday evening near the commune of Cléon, just south of Rouen. The cause of the derailment was not immediately known.

Notably, the local authorities activated a mass-casualty response plan after the crash shortly before 20: 00 local time (18: 00 GMT).

France's state-owned railway operator SNCF documented "significant disruptions" on its routes in the area. It remarked replacement buses would be provided. The authorities advised the public to avoid the area.

Taken together, the developments around passenger train derails in France leaving at least 44 injured point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.