450,000 euros fine required against the SNCF

At the exit of the judicial court of Évry (Essonne), Wednesday June 15, the victims are sounded, but relieved, after four hours of damning indictment for the SNCF. According to the Advocate General, the only explanation for the Brétigny-sur-Orge rail disaster, which occurred in 2013, is the failure of maintenance. The railway at Brétigny (Essonne) had been cracked for weeks. The SNCF was aware, he said, but it prioritized performance over passenger safety. For this reason, he requires the maximum penalty for a company: 450,000 euros against the SNCF.

For the prosecution, only the SNCF is responsible for the faults, which resulted in the death of seven people and more than 400 injuries on July 12, 2013 at the Brétiny-sur-Orge station. The Advocate General calls for an acquittal against Laurent Vaton, the manager in charge of maintenance, not guilty, he says, because he is the victim of a system. Thursday, June 16, it is the lawyers of the SNCF who will plead and who will have the difficult task of contesting these requisitions.