French train driver commits suicide at 300km/h, according to media reports
A high-speed train driver leaped from the moving train near Paris, which was traveling at a speed of 300 kph. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Automated systems effectively brought a high-speed train to a stop after the engineer reportedly took his own life.
On Christmas Eve, the driver of a train traveling from Paris to the east-central city of Saint-Etienne exited the cabin in an apparent suicide, leaving hundreds of passengers onboard as the train sped along at 300 kilometers per hour.
Within a minute, the train's automated systems recognized that the driver was unresponsive, subsequently shutting off the engine and activating the brakes, as stated by French state rail company SNCF. Fortunately, no passengers were harmed.
“A staff member noticed that there was no longer a driver in the cabin. And very quickly, he understood that, a few kilometers earlier, he had probably wanted to end his life,” Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot shared with the French radio network Franceinfo on Thursday.
The driver’s body was later found alongside the tracks, prompting an investigation by the Melun prosecutor’s office into the circumstances surrounding his death, as reported by Franceinfo.
Bruno Rejony, 52, was an experienced and respected driver who had been with SNCF for 27 years, according to La Parisien, which cited sources from the company. These sources indicated that Rejony was facing personal challenges and was “very depressed.”
“It could have been more serious if he had wanted to derail his train,” Tabarot remarked to CNEWS on Wednesday, a comment that led to a strong reaction from rail unions and opposition figures.
Rail union SUD-Rail criticized the minister, stating there was “no message of support” in his remarks. Sarah Legrain, a left-wing MP from the NFP, similarly highlighted the absence of condolences for Rejony’s family.
Berenger Cernon, another NFP MP and former rail worker, condemned Tabarot’s “indecency and cynicism,” pointing out the lack of “condolences, [and] mitigation of the human tragedy” in his statements.
In his defense, Tabarot, who was appointed just days earlier, insisted that he acknowledged the incident as “above all a human tragedy.”
Emily Johnson contributed to this report for TROIB News
On Christmas Eve, the driver of a train traveling from Paris to the east-central city of Saint-Etienne exited the cabin in an apparent suicide, leaving hundreds of passengers onboard as the train sped along at 300 kilometers per hour.
Within a minute, the train's automated systems recognized that the driver was unresponsive, subsequently shutting off the engine and activating the brakes, as stated by French state rail company SNCF. Fortunately, no passengers were harmed.
“A staff member noticed that there was no longer a driver in the cabin. And very quickly, he understood that, a few kilometers earlier, he had probably wanted to end his life,” Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot shared with the French radio network Franceinfo on Thursday.
The driver’s body was later found alongside the tracks, prompting an investigation by the Melun prosecutor’s office into the circumstances surrounding his death, as reported by Franceinfo.
Bruno Rejony, 52, was an experienced and respected driver who had been with SNCF for 27 years, according to La Parisien, which cited sources from the company. These sources indicated that Rejony was facing personal challenges and was “very depressed.”
“It could have been more serious if he had wanted to derail his train,” Tabarot remarked to CNEWS on Wednesday, a comment that led to a strong reaction from rail unions and opposition figures.
Rail union SUD-Rail criticized the minister, stating there was “no message of support” in his remarks. Sarah Legrain, a left-wing MP from the NFP, similarly highlighted the absence of condolences for Rejony’s family.
Berenger Cernon, another NFP MP and former rail worker, condemned Tabarot’s “indecency and cynicism,” pointing out the lack of “condolences, [and] mitigation of the human tragedy” in his statements.
In his defense, Tabarot, who was appointed just days earlier, insisted that he acknowledged the incident as “above all a human tragedy.”
Emily Johnson contributed to this report for TROIB News
