PARIS: France’s high-speed rail network was hit by arson attacks on Friday, just hours before the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, disrupting travel for hundreds of thousands of passengers.
A source close to the investigation told AFP the attacks were coordinated “sabotage”.
“This is a massive attack on a large scale to paralyze the TGV network,” SNCF told AFP, adding that many routes would be cancelled.
“SNCF was the victim of several simultaneous malicious acts overnight,” the national train operator said, adding that the attacks affected its Atlantic, Northern and Eastern lines.
“Arson attacks have been launched which have damaged our facilities,” it said, adding that traffic on the affected lines had been “severely disrupted” and the situation would continue over the weekend as repairs were carried out.
SNCF CEO 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.
Connections towards northern, eastern and northwestern France will be halved, he said.
SNCF said trains were diverted to other lines “but we will have to cancel a large number of them”.
The South East line was not affected as “the malicious act was foiled”.
SNCF urged passengers to delay their journeys and stay away from train stations.
Olympics under strict security
The attacks were launched as Paris was under tight security ahead of the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics, an event expected to draw 300,000 spectators and a VIP audience.
The parade on Friday evening will see up to 7,500 competitors racing a fleet of 85 boats along a six-kilometre (four-mile) stretch of the River Seine.
It will be the first time the Summer Olympics will be held outside the main athletics stadium, a decision fraught with danger at a time when France is on high alert for terror attacks.
At the Montparnasse train station in Paris, passengers waited for more information about their journeys, with a delay of more than two hours appearing on the boards.
“Normal operations are expected to resume on Monday, July 29,” read one of the signs in the departure hall.
Station loudspeakers told passengers that the conditions for exchanging and returning tickets would be more flexible.
Graphic designer Katherine Abby, 30, was clinging to hope that her trip would only be delayed and not cancelled. Weeks ago she booked flights to Biarritz, a popular resort on the southwest beach.
“It’s my only vacation of the year,” said Abby, who was traveling with her husband.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment for a year, I’d be pretty demoralized if I had to cancel this trip, especially when you see what Paris is like with the Olympics,” she said.
