Arson forces Paris’s Gare de l’Est train station to shut for day

Rail operator SNCF files legal complaint after fire at signals point brings all services to a halt

The French rail operator SNCF has filed a legal complaint over vandalism and arson after a fire broke out at a signals point, forcing Paris’s busy Gare de l’Est station to cancel all trains on Tuesday.

The commuter station, which also serves long-distance trains to eastern France, Germany and Luxembourg, was brought to a standstill during early rush hour after an incident that was at first thought to be accidental.