French train network in chaos hours before Olympics opening after arson attacks

Country's busiest lines targeted, causing major disruption and increasing apprehension ahead of Games

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Vandals have targeted France's high-speed train network with a series of “malicious” co-ordinated attacks hours before the Paris 2024 Olympics are due to start.

The arson attacks have caused major disruption to some of the country's busiest rail lines ahead of the opening ceremony and led to travel chaos across Europe.

State-owned railway operator SNCF said arsonists had targeted installations along lines connecting Paris with cities such as Lille in the north, Bordeaux in the west and Strasbourg in the east, and urged all travellers to postpone their journeys.

In one of the incidents, two trains carrying athletes to the opening ceremony were forced to stop due to the "sabotage", SNCF said.

“This is a massive attack on a large scale to paralyse the TGV network,” SNCF said.

“SNCF was the victim of several simultaneous malicious acts overnight. Arson attacks were started to damage our facilities.”

It has warned that traffic on the affected lines would be “heavily disrupted” and the situation would last through the weekend as repairs are carried out.

French officials described the attacks as “criminal actions” and said they were investigating whether they were linked to the Olympic Games.

Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said the attacks were “acts of sabotage” that were “prepared and co-ordinated”, and France's intelligence services had been mobilised to find the perpetrators.

On Friday, Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz accused Iran of involvement, however there has been no immediate claim of responsibility and no indication of whether the action was politically related.

"The sabotage of railway infrastructure across France ahead of the Paris2024 Olympics was planned and executed under the influence of Iran's axis of evil and radical Islam," he posted on X.

"As I warned my French counterpart @steph_sejourne this week, based on information held by Israel, Iranians are planning terrorist attacks against the Israeli delegation and all Olympic participants. Increased preventive measures must be taken to thwart their plot. The free world must stop Iran now – before it's too late."

Earlier this week Russian chef Kirill Gryaznov was arrested at his flat in Paris accused of being a spy and plotting with a foreign power to disrupt the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

SNCF chief executive Jean-Pierre Farandou said 800,000 passengers were affected.

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 north-western France would be halved.

SNCF said trains were being diverted to different tracks “but we will have to cancel a large number of them”.

Eurostar advised passengers not to travel on Friday and told customers to cancel trips after its rail services between London and Paris were disrupted.

Around 25 percent of Eurostar trains between Paris and London were cancelled on Friday.

"This will also be the case on Saturday and Sunday," Eurostar said in a statement.

Beyond the cancellations, Eurostar trains departing and arriving in Paris will run on regular lines rather than high-speed routes adding an extra 90 minutes onto the Paris-London trip that usually takes around two hours and 20 minutes, Eurostar said.

The company expects the disruption to be cleared by Monday morning. The problems are also affecting its route linking Paris with the Belgian capital Brussels.

Trains from London St Pancras International to the French capital have been delayed by at least an hour or cancelled.

“Due to co-ordinated acts of malice in France, affecting the high-speed line between Paris and Lille, all high-speed trains going to and coming from Paris are being diverted via the classic line today,” a Eurostar official said.

“This extends the journey time by around an hour and a half. Several trains have been cancelled.

“Eurostar’s teams are fully mobilised in stations, in the call centres, and on board to ensure that all passengers are informed and can reach their destination.”

Germany's Deutsche Bahn has also been affected and has warned passengers to check their connection before travelling.

“Due to damage caused by vandalism, Deutsche Bahn's long-distance services between France and Germany are subject in the short term to cancellations and delays,” the state-owned rail operator said.

These attacks on France's rail network will feed into a sense of apprehension ahead of the Olympics opening ceremony in Paris later on Friday.

France is rolling out an unprecedented peacetime security operation for the event, with more than 45,000 police, 10,000 soldiers and 2,000 private security agents deployed.

Snipers will be on rooftops and drones keeping watch from the air.

Paris 2024 organisers said they were working closely with the SNCF to assess the situation.

Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera condemned the vandalism.

“It's completely appalling,” she told BFMTV. “To target the Games is to target France.”

At the Gare de L'Est, traveller Corinne Lecocq said her train to Strasbourg, on the border with Germany, had been cancelled.

“We'll take the slow line,” she said. “I'm on holiday so it's OK, even if it is irritating to be late.”

Valerie Pecresse, president of the regional council of the greater Paris region, speaking from Montparnasse station, said: “250,000 travellers will be affected today on all these lines.”

Substitution plans were under way, but she advised travellers “not to go to stations”.

The Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony is being held on and along the River Seine in the heart of the city, beginning at 7.30pm local time.