In a devastating blow to France’s transportation system, coordinated arson attacks disrupted the high-speed rail network just hours before the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics. The train operator, SNCF, confirmed that multiple “malicious acts” targeted their Atlantic, northern, and eastern lines, leading to significant route cancellations and affecting 800,000 passengers.
SNCF described the attacks as a “massive attack on a large scale to paralyze the TGV network,” with arson used to damage facilities and heavily disrupt traffic. The national rail operator warned that the situation would persist through the weekend as repairs are conducted.
Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete labeled the attacks an “outrageous criminal act” and highlighted the “very serious consequences” for rail traffic, particularly with connections toward northern, eastern, and northwestern France being halved.
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Despite efforts to divert trains to alternative tracks, many routes were canceled, and SNCF urged passengers to postpone their travel plans and avoid train stations. The southeastern line remained unaffected, as a similar attack there was thwarted.
These incidents occurred as Paris bolstered security ahead of the Olympics opening ceremony, which was set to draw 300,000 spectators and a significant number of VIPs. The ceremony, taking place along a six-kilometer stretch of the river Seine, marks the first time a Summer Olympics has opened outside the main athletics stadium.
At Paris’s Montparnasse train station, passengers faced delays of up to two hours, with some informed they might not depart before Monday. Jocelyn, a 27-year-old student heading to Bretagne, expressed frustration over the chaos, noting they had expected disruptions due to the opening ceremony but not to this extent. Normal rail traffic is anticipated to resume by July 29.
