On the day of the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris, traffic on France's high-speed train line (TGV) has been severely disrupted due to "several simultaneous acts of malicious intent," said French rail operator SNCF. Trains from Belgium are also experiencing issues.
Fires were allegedly set on several high-speed lines "to damage railway installations," the rail operator said. There are problems on three high-speed lines: the Atlantic TGV line (Paris-Le Mans), the eastern TGV link (Paris-Strasbourg) and the Paris-Lille rail link, with delays of up to two hours.
"Following this massive attack aimed at paralysing the high-speed network, a large number of trains have been diverted or cancelled," SNCF announced on social media. "Affected passengers will be contacted by email or text message."
⚠️Suite à cette attaque massive visant à paralyser le réseau des lignes à grande vitesse, un grand nombre de trains sont détournés ou supprimés. Les voyageurs concernés seront contactés par mail ou SMS. Nous demandons à tous les voyageurs qui le peuvent de reporter leur voyage et… https://t.co/yt5cCtHSqW
— SNCF Voyageurs (@SNCFVoyageurs) July 26, 2024
The rail operator also asked all passengers who can postpone their journeys to do so, and not to go to the train station. "All tickets for these disrupted journeys are exchangeable and refundable."
The railway operator also reported a "foiled act" on the high-speed lines towards the south-east of France. While some trains are now being diverted to the regular lines, a large number of connections have also been cancelled.
Several arson attacks
Fires were reportedly set at several places on the tracks last night with the aim of damaging the infrastructure of the train network. According to French media, these were deliberate actions intended to cripple train traffic ahead of the Olympics.
It is feared there will be disruption throughout the weekend while the railway company tries to solve the problem.
"Coordinated malicious acts targeted several TGV lines last night and will severely disrupt traffic until this weekend," said French Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete. "I condemn these criminal acts, which will jeopardise the departure of many French people on holiday."
Des actes de malveillance coordonnés ont visé cette nuit plusieurs lignes TGV et perturberont fortement le trafic jusqu’à ce week-end. Je condamne fermement ces agissements criminels qui vont compromettre les départs en vacances de nombreux Français. Un grand merci aux équipes de…
— Patrice Vergriete (@P_Vergriete) July 26, 2024
In Belgium, train traffic to France is also experiencing delays. Eurostar trains from Brussels-Midi station to Paris Gare du Nord and Charles de Gaulle Airport are experiencing difficulties as well, with delays currently ranging between 45 and 90 minutes. The disruptions could last all day, warned Belgian railway operator SNCB. Travellers are advised to stay tuned to station announcements and monitor the information screens.
Meanwhile, the attacks are also disrupting high-speed train services from London to the French capital, which are running about an hour late.
The attack comes just hours before the opening ceremony of the Olympics on Friday evening, when many people are planning to travel to the French capital.
