The mobilization against the pension reform and the interruption of traffic at the Gare de l'Est have "no connection".
This is the position defended this Wednesday morning by Philippe Martinez, first secretary of the CGT, about the destruction of cables, on the night of Monday to Tuesday in Vaires-sur-Marne (Seine-et-Marne), necessary for a referral of the Paris-Est network.
Asked about franceinfo, he said that “an investigation is underway and we will see what the results of this investigation give.
This kind of shortcut is unhealthy”.
He adds that "it's not the first time this has happened and I think we have to be careful with these kinds of shortcuts
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He says he agrees with the fact that the perpetrators have put lives in danger and that, "when there is this kind of crime, there are sanctions".
Completely interrupted on Tuesday, traffic remains very disrupted on Wednesday.
🔴 LIVE 🗣 Malicious act at the Gare de l'Est in Paris ➡️ There is "no link" with the social movement, for Philippe Martinez.
“This kind of shortcut is unhealthy. You have to be careful with this kind of shortcut.”
👉 https://t.co/0naQZOp7fu pic.twitter.com/ieXTJVJnik
— franceinfo (@franceinfo) January 25, 2023
The SNCF lodged a complaint and the Meaux prosecutor's office (Seine-et-Marne) opened an investigation for willful degradation and endangering the lives of others.
“There is no lead, no group claim,” a source close to the investigation told Agence France Presse (AFP).
"There is nothing to predict who or why there was this act of sabotage which has greatly harmed our customers," said Olivier Bancel, operations and network manager at SNCF.
But according to two executives of the railway company, the authors of this "sabotage" knew "necessarily well the network", given the place targeted.
50 cables and 600 circuits to restore
The first findings of the Meaux prosecutor's office testify to a certain organization: two concrete panels blocking access to a hatch where there was a first box housing the electrical cables were "removed and deposited".
The same operation was observed on a second box, also on fire, accessible by a tunnel located under the tracks, indicated the prosecution, specifying that "an access gate to the SNCF tracks was open without any trace of breaking in ".
Repairs are tedious.
"Very specialized teams are working," explained Olivier Bancel.
“There were about fifty cables which were damaged, which were set on fire.
And around 600 safety circuits.
You have to take them one by one, check them, repair them.
We make no concessions with security.
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