Hundreds are stranded ahead of the games, with the rail operator advising people to postpone their journeys and avoid going to stations.
France’s high-speed TGV rail network has been paralyzed by vandalism and arson attacks, the train operator SNCF said, just hours before the Olympic Games in Paris are set to open.
An SNCF spokesman told The Epoch Times by email that it was the “victim” of several simultaneous “malicious acts” affecting the Atlantique, Northern, and Eastern high-speed lines.
He said the massive attack—which included deliberate fires set to damage its facilities—will “paralyze high-speed lines.”
The attacks happened just hours before the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics, which are due to start on Friday. According to the French tourism site Sortiraparis, over 15 million visitors are expected to go to the capital for the games.
“We ask all passengers to postpone their journeys and not to go to railway stations. All tickets are exchangeable and refundable. Customers will be informed by text when their train is running,” said the SNCF spokesman, adding that about 250,000 customers are affected.
Disruption is expected to last at least the whole weekend.
Several trains on the Eurostar service—which connects France, the UK, Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands—have been cancelled.
A number of trains from London St. Pancras International to Paris have been delayed, according to the Eurostar website.
A spokesperson for Eurostar said, “Due to coordinated acts of malice in France, affecting the high speed line between Paris and Lille, all high speed trains going to and coming from Paris are being diverted via the classic line today Friday July 26.”
Eurostar told customers to cancel their trips on Friday if they can amid ongoing disruption to its services.
The rail operator said, “We encourage our customers to postpone their trip if possible.”
French police investigations are ongoing.
Paris police chief Laurent Nuñez told the news station franceinfo that it’s not yet clear what motivated the vandalism, but it was a “huge attack.”
By Owen Evans
