The French train operator SNCF has discovered that 2,000 new trains it ordered at a cost of 15bn euros ($20.5bn; £12.1bn) are too wide for many regional platforms.

The blunder has so far cost the rail operator over 50m euros ($68.4m; £40.6m).

Construction work has begun on widening hundreds of platforms.

Christian Fraser in Paris says it is "an embarrassing situation".