French high-speed rail networks including Eurostar were hit by arson attacks disrupting travel to and from Paris only hours before the Olympic opening ceremony.
Major hubs in the French capital were severely affected, with prime minister Gabriel Attal saying there would be “massive and serious” consequences both for people trying to travel to Paris and for those heading to other parts of the country or across the Channel.
Security has been incredibly tight in the centre of Paris in preparation for the ambitious opening ceremony, which will see athletes travel along the Seine in a flotilla of boats.
There was no immediate evidence of a link to the Games, while the AFP news agency spoke to a security source who claimed the nature of the sabotage points to the French extreme left.
National rail company SNCF said its Atlantic, North and East networks were damaged in the incidents, with fires laid across the tracks, while an attempted attack in the South-East was foiled.
Trains from London to Paris and Lille were being delayed by around an hour and a half, with a quarter cancelled. Eurostar said this would remain the case over the weekend, with the service not back to normal until Monday.
All high-speed trains to and from Paris have been diverted to a slower line and the company urged customers to postpone their journeys if possible.
Due to acts of vandalism affecting the high-speed line between Paris and Lille, all high-speed trains to and from Paris are being diverted via the classic line. Some trains have been cancelled, others are delayed. To see if your train is affected followhttps://t.co/rg0hFG14Wi
— Eurostar (@Eurostar) July 26, 2024
Writing on the social media site X, Attal said: “Early this morning, acts of sabotage were carried out in a prepared and coordinated manner on SNCF installations.
“The consequences on the rail network are massive and serious. I express my sincere gratitude to our firefighters who intervened on the affected sites and to the SNCF agents who will carry out the necessary work to restore the network.
“I think of all the French people, all the families, who were preparing to go on vacation. I share their anger and salute their patience, their understanding and the civic-mindedness they demonstrate.
“Our intelligence services and law enforcement are mobilised to find and punish the perpetrators of these criminal acts.”
Prosecutors in Paris opened a national investigation, saying the crimes could carry sentences of 15 to 20 years.
Hundreds of thousands of people were anticipated to be affected by the disruption, including two German show jumpers who were held up in Belgium and will now miss the ceremony, German news agency dpa reported.
There was better news on Friday afternoon, with services resuming on the Atlantique high-speed line, which had been completely halted, and improving elsewhere.
France’s Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete told TV network TF1: “At Montparnasse station and Bordeaux station, which were the most affected, we should find one in three trains running this afternoon. Things are already improving.”
French authorities have been on high alert regarding potential threats to the Olympics.
On Sunday, a Russian man, Kirill Gryaznov, was arrested at his flat in Paris accused of being a spy who was part of a plot to disrupt the Games.
Russia is officially barred from the Games due to its war in Ukraine, although just over a dozen athletes from the country are being allowed to compete as neutrals.
