Paris train services to resume after WW2 bomb defused but Eurostar still disrupted - live updates

Summary

An unexploded WW2 bomb found near Gare du Nord station in Paris has been defused, France's transport minister says
All Eurostar trains to and from Paris are cancelled until the end of the day, with normal services expected to resume on Saturday
Local rail traffic will start to return to normal from 17:00 GMT, the transport minister says, after French police evacuated 200 people from homes in Saint-Denis
Officials say the size of the 500kg bomb is "really quite exceptional"
"We're completely stuck," one group of travellers tell the BBC from Paris, while others face a long journey as they head for the city via Lille

Live Reporting

Edited by Neha Gohil, with Hugh Schofield reporting from Gare du Nord

It’s not unusual to discover unexploded wartime bombs in areas like thispublished at 07:57 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March
Hugh Schofield
Paris correspondent
Workers on the tracks about a mile north of the Gare du Nord discovered the bomb overnight, and the decision was immediately taken to suspend services in and out of the station.
For now there are no Eurostar trains running, or other fast trains to Belgium and the Netherlands.
Local commuter lines are also affected, and where possible those trains are being diverted to other stations.
It’s not unusual to discover unexploded wartime bombs in areas like this. British and American bombers regularly targeted railyards in Paris and other cities to disrupt the German war effort.
How long it takes to dismantle the bomb will depend on its size and how accessible it is.
Large crowds wait for updates at Gare du Nordpublished at 07:40 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March
At Paris Gare du Nord, we're seeing large queues of passengers in the terminal after Eurostar and local train services were halted this morning.
Signs warn travellers that services will be delayed until further notice after the unexploded WW2 bomb was found on the tracks at a nearby suburb.
Change your journey for a different date of travel, Eurostar sayspublished at 07:25 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March
We've just seen a service update from Eurostar, which says on its website: "Due to an object on the tracks near Paris Gare du Nord, we are expecting disruption to our services this morning. Please change your journey for a different date of travel."
Four trains from London's St Pancras station have been cancelled so far, while the first six trains departing Paris for London have also been cancelled.
Eurostar and local trains halted at Europe's busiest rail stationpublished at 07:13 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March
The Eurostar and all other trains have been halted this morning at Gare du Nord, France's busiest station, as police work to disable the unexploded WW2 device.
Eurostar's website shows three trains scheduled to depart on Friday morning have been cancelled, and the BBC has contacted the company for comment.
Gare du Nord is Europe's busiest rail station and serves 214 million passengers a year, according to Eurostar.
Trains disrupted at Gare du Nord in Parispublished at 07:00 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March
Breaking
Local train and Eurostar services are disrupted at Gare du Nord station in Paris after an unexploded World War Two bomb was found nearby.
The bomb was found "in the middle of the tracks" in the area of Saint-Denis, a suburb of Paris, during overnight works on the tracks, local media reported.
We'll bring you more information as we get it.