Sabotage, Fires Across France Rail Network Ahead Of Olympics Opening: 10 Facts

Trains to and from Paris have been disrupted by what the government called a "massive attack aimed at paralyzing the network" of France's superfast trains.

The "sabotage" occurred just hours before the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics and has already affected over 8 lakh passengers.

"Coordinated malicious acts targeted several TGV lines last night and will seriously disrupt traffic until this weekend," French Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Fires were set off at several rail-line nodes, with people seen fleeing the sites in vans, Jean-Pierre Farandou, the head of the national rail company SNCF, said on BFM TV.

"SNCF was the victim of several simultaneous malicious acts overnight. Arson attacks were started to damage our facilities," the national train operator said, adding that the attacks affected its Atlantic, northern, and eastern lines.

SNCF urged passengers to postpone their trips and stay away from train stations.

The train operator said that the situation would last through the weekend as they would have to repair the network cable by cable.

International train operator Eurostar's services were also affected, especially those to London and Brussels from Paris.

The disruptions come amid heightened security across Paris, with tens of thousands of police deployed to secure the Games. In preparation, large sections of the city have been cordoned off, with Olympic sites, train stations, and tourist landmarks guarded by gun-toting officers, including counter-terrorism units and the military.

The opening ceremony this evening will see up to 7,500 competitors travel down a six-kilometre stretch of the river Seine on a flotilla of 85 boats.