French rail operator: Network is safe despite crash

France's national rail operator (SNCF) said on Wednesday that it had completed a nation-wide verification of the rail network to ensure there were no new dangers after the fatal accident July 13 that killed six people and wounded almost two dozen others near Paris. An intercity train derailed in at a suburban station of Bretigny near the capital after a track bracket came loose and unstuck for reasons that remain to be established by three different enquiries that are ongoing. The SNCF has been carrying out methodical checks on the more than 5,000 similar rail brackets in place on the tracks throughout France. "Europe 1" radio quoted the SNCF as saying on Wednesday that "the checks have not discovered (problems) would jeopardize safety" for trains. The SNCF has also promised it will review its investment policies and take the necessary measures to modernise the ageing rail system that has been neglected in favour of separate, high-speed lines, called TGV (High Speed Trains) and which are extensively used around France. The rail operator said in a statement that services were progressively resuming on the line where the massive accident took place and noted that the suburban station that was almost demolished in the accident should be running normally again on July 29.