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PARIS: France's high-speed rail network was hit by arson attacks that disrupted travel for hundreds of thousands of passengers on Friday, just hours before the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics.
The operator of Eurostar has announced the cancellation of multiple Paris-London trains due to an act of sabotage on the French rail lines.
French officials condemned the attacks as “criminal actions,” though they said there was no sign of a direct link to the Games. Prosecutors in Paris opened a national investigation saying the crimes could carry sentences of 10 to 20 years.
Outgoing French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said that sabotage and arson that hit key parts of France’s high speed rail network on the eve of the Olympics had “a clear objective: blocking the high speed train network.”
He said the vandals strategically targeted the main routes from the north, east and west toward Paris, hours before the city hosts the Olympics opening ceremony.
Speaking to reporters Attal said there will be “massive consequences," with “hundreds of thousands” of people stuck while trying to visit Paris for the Games or vacations.
French officials described the attacks as “criminal actions" and said they were investigating whether they were linked to the Olympic Games. The disruptions as the world's eye was turning to Paris were expected to affect a quarter of a million people alone on Friday and endure through the weekend, and possibly longer, officials said.
Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete described people fleeing from the scene of fires and the discovery of incendiary devices at the site.
“Everything indicates that these are criminal fires,” he said, reported Associated Press.
A source close to the investigation told news agency AFP the attacks were coordinated acts of "sabotage".
"This is a massive attack on a large scale to paralyse 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 were started to damage our facilities," it said, adding that traffic on the affected lines was "heavily disrupted" and the situation would last through the weekend as repairs are conducted.
SNCF chief executive Jean-Pierre Farandou said 800,000 passengers were affected. It was “a premeditated, calculated, coordinated attack” that indicates “a desire to seriously harm” the French people, the CEO of the national railway company SNCF, said Farandou.
Two out of four trains carrying Olympic athletes to Paris on the western Atlantique high-speed line were stopped hours before the opening ceremony, affected by the coordinated sabotage on the tracks, an official from the French railway operator SNCF said Friday. Also, two German athletes in showjumping who were on a train to Paris to take part in the opening ceremony but had to turn back in Belgium because of the closures, and will now miss the ceremony, German news agency dpa reported.
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.
There were no known reports of injuries from the attacks.
Earlier this week, France’s interior minister said about 1,000 people suspected of possibly meddling for a foreign power have been blocked from attending the games.
Although he has repeatedly pointed to suspicions of Russia-backed interference, Gerald Darmanin added that such threats have also come from other countries that he did not name. Among those blocked were people suspected of Islamic radicalization or left- or right-wing political extremism, or who had significant criminal records, Darmanin said.
The coordinated train line attacks targeted remote locations far from the capital as 35,000 police officers are being deployed in Paris each day for the Olympics, with a peak of 45,000 for the opening ceremony.
Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castera said authorities were working to “evaluate the impact on travelers, athletes, and ensure the transport of all delegations to the competition sites” for the Olympics. Speaking on BFM television, she added, “Playing against the Games is playing against France, against your own camp, against your country.” She did not identify who was behind the vandalism, Associated Press reported.
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".
SNCF urged passengers to postpone their trips and stay away from train stations.
As reported by Associated Press, many passengers at the Gare du Nord, one of Europe’s busiest train stations, were looking for answers and solutions on Friday morning. All eyes were on the central message boards as most services to northern France, Belgium and the United Kingdom were delayed.
“It’s a hell of a way to start the Olympics,” said Sarah Moseley, 42, as she learned that her train to London was an hour late.
“They should have more information for tourists, especially if it’s a malicious attack,” said Corey Grainger, a 37-year-old Australian sales manager on his way to London, as he rested on his two suitcases in the middle of the station.
Olympics under heavy security
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.
It will be the first time a Summer Olympics has opened outside the main athletics stadium, a decision fraught with danger at a time when France is on its highest alert for terror attacks.
At Paris's Montparnasse train station, passengers were waiting for more information about their trips, with display boards showing delays of more than two hours.
"Normal traffic is expected to resume on Monday, July 29," read one of the signs in the departure hall.
The station's loudspeakers told passengers that conditions to exchange and refund tickets would be more flexible.
Graphic designer Katherine Abby, 30, clung to hope that her trip would only be delay and not cancelled. She booked her tickets for Biarritz, a popular southwest beach resort, weeks ago.
"It's my only vacation of the year, said Abby, who was travelling with her husband.
"I've been waiting for this moment for a year, I would be pretty demoralised to have to cancel this trip, especially when you see what Paris looks like with the Olympic Games," she said.
Paris has been the target of deadly terror attacks in the past decade, and some French officials saw hosting the Olympic Games as a chance for the nation to heal from years of trauma.
(With inputs from Associated Press, AFP)
