France’s national high-speed rail network was hit by “sabotage” on Friday that disrupted travel for tens of thousands of passengers. The malicious strikes came as travelers were expected to descend on the capital ahead of the start of the Paris Olympics.
A source close to the investigation told AFP the coordinated acts of “sabotage” were deliberate and targeted, adding many routes would be cancelled, with the national train operator SNCF adding the attacks affected its Atlantic, northern and eastern lines.
“Arson attacks were started to damage our facilities,” the SNCF said, noting traffic on the affected lines was “heavily disrupted” and the situation would last through the weekend as repairs are conducted.
Passengers wait for their train departures at the Gare Montparnasse train station in Paris on July 26, 2024 as France’s high-speed rail network was hit by malicious acts disrupting the transport system hours before the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. (THIBAUD MORITZ/AFP via Getty)
SNCF chief executive Jean-Pierre Farandou said 800,000 passengers were affected while Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete called the attacks an “outrageous criminal act” that would have “very serious consequences” for rail traffic throughout the weekend.
He said connections towards northern, eastern and northwestern France would be halved.
SNCF said trains were being diverted to different tracks “but we will have to cancel a large number of them”.
The southeastern line was not affected as “a malicious act was foiled.”
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SNCF urged passengers to postpone their trips and stay away from train stations, the AFP report notes.
The attacks were launched as Paris was under heavy security ahead of the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics, with 300,000 spectators and an audience of VIPs expected at the event.
The parade on Friday evening will see up to 7,500 competitors travel down a six-kilometre (four-mile) stretch of the river Seine on a flotilla of 85 boats.
