Rail services returned to normal across most of France Saturday after Storm Goretti's 1,000 track incidents, though three Normandy lines stay closed until Sunday and an RER D section until Monday. Power outages dropped to under 40,000 homes, mostly in Normandy, following Friday's peak of 380,000.
Building on Friday's widespread disruptions—including 320,000 homes without power, two serious injuries, and Flamanville reactor shutdowns—recovery advanced Saturday.
SNCF cleared tracks hit by debris like trees, poles, and even garden sheds or a swimming pool, with 400 incidents in Normandy alone. The region's 2,600 km of lines reopened after preventive closures, though the Rouen-Dieppe route required 12 hours for a normal 45-minute trip due to stops.
Normal traffic resumed in Brittany, Hauts-de-France, and Pays de la Loire. Remaining closures: Yvetot-Fécamp, Breauté-Fécamp, Lison-Cherbourg (until Sunday); Corbeil-Melun on RER D (until Monday). Services to Le Havre and Cherbourg restart Sunday.
Enedis restored 90% of power, far below Storm Ciarán's 1.2 million peak in 2023. By Saturday evening, 39,900 customers remained affected, 36,700 in Normandy; Brittany normalized. Manche saw 400 firefighter calls for storm damage, with eight injuries total but effective alerts limited the toll.
