Storm Austen, the first storm of the autumn, is hitting northwestern France this Friday, October 23, 2026, and its effects are being felt as far as the Paris train stations. The rail network is the first to be affected. From Paris Saint-Lazare (8th arrondissement), no trains are running to Normandy, while at Gare du Nord (10th arrondissement), two heavily used TER routes for residents of the Île-de-France region are suspending service from midday. The Île-de-France network is also affected: several RER and Transilien lines are suspended or running at reduced speed this Friday, from RER D in Essonne to line P in Seine-et-Marne, as well as lines J and U in Yvelines and Val-d’Oise. In the evening, another restriction comes into force in Paris: several stations in the city center are closing at the request of the Préfecture de police, and RER B service is suspended between Saint-Michel Notre-Dame and its northern branches.
The entire region is now under an orange alert. In its bulletin issued at 6 a.m. on Friday, October 23, Météo-France extended the orange high-wind warning to Paris (75), Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-Saint-Denis, Val-de-Marne, Seine-et-Marne and Essonne. They join the Yvelines (78) and Val-d'Oise (95), which have been under an orange alert since Thursday. In total, 23 departments are affected, including Oise and Aisne.
Gusts could occasionally reach 100 km/h in Paris and across the entire region. According to Tameteo, they will pick up around 10 a.m. in Yvelines and around 11 a.m. in Paris, before blowing throughout the afternoon. The wind is then expected to ease in the evening. With the Toussaint school holidays in full swing, it’s best to check your route before packing your suitcase.
This is the most drastic measure. SNCF Réseau has decided to suspend train services on all lines in Normandy from this Friday until Saturday afternoon. This affects journeys between Paris Saint-Lazare and Rouen, Le Havre, Caen, Cherbourg and Trouville-Deauville. According to details provided by SNCF, no TER, Intercités or TGV trains will run on the Normandy network on Friday.
The aim is to prevent a train from getting stranded on the tracks in the middle of the storm, as gusts could exceed 110 km/h inland and 130 km/h along the Normandy coast. The resumption schedule is now known: TER Normandie says trains will gradually resume service on Saturday, October 24, from 2 p.m., subject to weather conditions and track inspections. SNCF is therefore advising passengers to postpone their journey until Saturday afternoon, subject to availability. The Paris-Montparnasse–Granville route, which also relies on the Normandy network, should also be checked before setting off.
To assist travelers, staff wearing red vests are on hand at Saint-Lazare and stations across Normandy over these two days, according to ICI Normandie.
For those heading to Brittany from Paris-Montparnasse (the 14th and 15th arrondissements), the TER BreizhGo network is also suspending services until noon Friday on five routes: Brest-Saint-Brieuc, Lannion-Saint-Brieuc, Quimper-Brest, Guingamp-Carhaix and Guingamp-Paimpol, according to L'Écho touristique. Anyone planning to take a TGV and then a TER to northern Brittany should therefore check their connection.
On the Gare du Nord side, the storm is also disrupting services to the Oise, Somme and Aisne. TER Hauts-de-France has outlined the routes that have been suspended, with some disruptions starting this Thursday evening and lasting until Saturday afternoon.
Residents of Île-de-France planning to reach Beauvais Airport by train via the Paris–Beauvais line will therefore need to plan an alternative route on Friday afternoon. Delays and cancellations remain possible on other lines in the region.
Farther north, SNCF Réseau has also introduced “suspensions of service” on several lines in Nord and Pas-de-Calais, some from Thursday evening. The suspension from noon to 11 p.m. on Friday on the Paris–Beauvais and Paris–Laon lines is now confirmed. Before setting off, the safest option is to check your train on the TER Hauts-de-France website.
The Île-de-France rail network is also taking precautionary measures. Transilien warns that the storm will cause service suspensions and speed restrictions on many trains and RER lines on Friday, October 23, and advises passengers to postpone their journeys if possible. The same alert was posted on Thursday on X by the official accounts for RER lines C and D and lines H, J, K, N, P, R, U and V. In other words, almost the entire Île-de-France rail network could be affected on Friday, with some sections closed and trains running more slowly elsewhere. No closed sections were specified for line K, but the TER connection between Crépy-en-Valois, Soissons and Laon will be suspended from noon to 11 p.m. Île-de-France Mobilités says that services will be suspended from 9 a.m. onward, depending on the area, until the end of service, and recommends working from home.
On the RER D, the measures begin at 10 a.m.:
A gradual resumption of service may be considered from 5 p.m., subject to weather conditions and safety checks on the tracks. Passengers in Essonne and Seine-et-Marne will remember that during Storm Goretti in January, fallen trees had torn down the overhead wires between Corbeil and Melun, leaving this section without train service for several days.
In western Île-de-France, several lines will be suspended all day, according to the X accounts for the various lines:
Other sections will be closed from 9 a.m. until the end of service:
Other routes will be closed from 10 a.m. until the end of service:
SNCF Réseau also announced on X the precautionary suspension of line V between Versailles-Chantiers and Massy-Palaiseau for Friday. According to CNews, service on the entire line is suspended until 10:30 p.m. Disruptions also remain possible on branch C1 of the RER C, depending on wind gusts.
In Seine-et-Marne (77), the Line P is one of the hardest hit. Transilien has detailed the service disruptions planned for Friday on each of its branches. In the morning, trains will run with a single unit on the Provins and Coulommiers lines, meaning there will be fewer seats on board.
An important point for Seine-et-Marne residents: no replacement buses will be running during these closures. It’s therefore best to reschedule your journey if possible, or aim for the last trains in the morning. Resumption times will depend on the weather and safety checks, so the safest option is to check the “next departures” section before heading to the station.
Across the rest of the network, caution is still advised. With all of Île-de-France now under an orange weather alert, the gusts forecast by Météo-France are expected to affect the entire region, peaking between late morning and the afternoon. Since the trees still have many of their leaves, they catch more of the wind, rather like a filled sail.
Falling branches on the tracks or overhead wires can slow down some RER and Transilien lines, particularly on wooded stretches in the outer suburbs. Before setting out, it’s best to check your journey on SNCF Connect, the Transilien website or the Île-de-France Mobilités app. These disruptions come on top of the works already scheduled this week on the metro and RER, including the closure of Line 2.
This time, the storm has nothing to do with it. At the request of the Paris Police Prefecture, RATP has confirmed that several stations in central Paris will close from 10 p.m. this Friday, October 23, 2026, as a security measure. Entrances will be closed, and trains will pass through without stopping. Following announcements on previous evenings, this Friday’s date now appears clearly in the line bulletins.
RER B has issued a further clarification. According to the line bulletin, service is suspended from 10:45 p.m. between Saint-Michel Notre-Dame and the two northern termini, Aéroport Charles-de-Gaulle 2 TGV and Mitry-Claye. RATP says this is due both to safety measures and to evening works already scheduled on weekdays between Châtelet and the northern branches through November 10. In practice, trains coming from the south terminate at Saint-Michel Notre-Dame. To continue north, RATP recommends changing at Denfert-Rochereau (14th arrondissement), from where Line 4 provides access to Gare du Nord and the replacement buses operating during the works.
These bulletins do not give a time when service will resume. To reach Roissy Airport or northern Seine-Saint-Denis this evening, the best option is still to set off before 10 p.m. or plan a backup route using the Île-de-France Mobilités journey planner. These station closures do not, in themselves, mean a curfew has been announced. Curfews are covered by separate orders issued by the Préfecture de police, which target the République and Les Halles areas at night, as we explain in our update on the Paris curfew.
In Normandy, the timing is becoming clearer: a gradual resumption of service is scheduled for Saturday, October 24, from 2 p.m., and the day’s timetable is already available in SNCF’s journey-planning tools. However, it remains dependent on the condition of the tracks. As soon as the storm has passed, inspection trains carrying no passengers will travel along the lines, with staff on board equipped with chainsaws to clear fallen trees. In Hauts-de-France, services are expected to return to normal at around 2 p.m. on Saturday, according to Horizon Actu.
So a return to normal could be gradual. Travelers returning from Normandy on Saturday would be better off aiming for a train in the late afternoon or evening rather than the early afternoon, and checking traffic conditions just before setting off.
In Paris, another disruption awaits travelers on Saturday. With a new day of mobilization planned for October 24, the RATP has announced station closures and service interruptions from 9 a.m., at the request of the Paris Police Prefecture. Those arriving via Saint-Lazare or Gare du Nord should check their metro route on the RATP traffic information website before leaving the station.
Yes, exchange and refund conditions have been relaxed for cancelled trains. Requests must be made before the scheduled departure time through the channel used to purchase the ticket (app, website or ticket office). Details for trains in Normandy are available on the TER Normandie website, and details for services on the Picardy lines are available on TER Hauts-de-France.
Several municipalities have already closed their green spaces for the day, from the Domaine départemental de Sceaux to Grand Paris Seine Ouest’s 55 parks and squares. Our roundup of parks and cemeteries closed in Île-de-France lists the announcements. In Paris, the city has already closed its parks, gardens and cemeteries during recent windstorms. With Paris now under an orange alert, check paris.fr for updates, while the Météo-France vigilance map remains the go-to source for tracking conditions throughout the day.
Rather than brave the gusts, it’s best to head indoors to museums, exhibitions and cinemas. Our pick of the things to do this Friday, October 23 offers plenty to keep you dry all day, and conditions should calm down overnight from Friday into Saturday, as Austen heads towards the Benelux.
Dates and Opening Time
From October 23, 2026 to October 24, 2026
