Traffic in France's Paris Gare du Nord train station was halted on Friday (March 7) after a World War II bomb was discovered right in the middle of tracks leading to the nation's busiest terminal.

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Eurostar, the international high-speed rail service in Western Europe, which connects Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, has also warned commuters to postpone plans.

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"Due to an object on the tracks at Paris Gare du Nord, we expect disruption to our services this morning," it said, adding, "Please change your journey for a different date."

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As per France's national SNCF rail company, the WW2 bomb was discovered overnight as maintenance work was being carried out in the northern Paris suburb of Saint Denis. It was found "in the middle of the tracks" around 2.5 kilometres (1.55 miles) from the railway station.

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In a post on X, the RER B suburban train wrote that the bomb "dated to the Second World War."

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All traffic to Paris' busiest train station, which serves international, high-speed and local connections, was halted as police worked to disable the device.

Ongoing disruption expected

France's Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot has warned that rail traffic at Gare du Nord would remain "heavily disrupted all day" Friday. The disruption would be a major inconvenience to commuters, as the train station is usually busier due to increased weekend travel.

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Tabarot, speaking to broadcaster Sud Radio, advised travellers to "avoid going to the station" and reschedule their travel plans. He also expressed hope that the traffic may restart by Friday afternoon.

(With inputs from agencies)