Editor’s note: to followLive updates from the Olympic opening ceremony.
PARIS – Hours before the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics on Friday, France’s national railways said it had been the target of several “nefarious acts” that caused chaos on its high-speed lines.
“The arson attack was launched with the aim of causing damage to our facilities,” SNCF said in a post on X.
The fire started after destroying signal boxes and utility poles in several rural areas outside Paris, but also had a knock-on effect on services at several major train stations in the capital.
The incident came as French and international security authorities launched a massive security operation in preparation for the Olympics, deploying tens of thousands of police and military personnel onto the streets.
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SNCF said the “major attack” had disrupted up to 800,000 passengers and urged them to postpone their travels, saying the attack was aimed at “paralyzing the rail network”.
SNCF said parts of an overhead cable had been cut and burned in what it called “an act of vandalism.” The Paris prosecutor’s office has opened a criminal investigation. No one has immediately claimed responsibility. By late afternoon, SNCF said emergency repairs had been made on some lines and services had been partially and gradually resumed.
One of the routes under attack was between Paris and Lille, a city in northern France where qualifying matches for the finals of the men’s and women’s basketball and handball tournaments are being held.
SNCF CEO Jean-Pierre Farandou told French media that at least two of the disrupted trains were carrying Olympians on their way to the opening ceremony of the Games.
Farandou described the incident as a “planned, calculated and coordinated attack” and said rail maintenance workers had thwarted a suspected act of sabotage along the tracks heading southeast towards Paris..
Eurostar trains between London and Paris were also suspended, while other international trains from Germany to France were delayed.
The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee said US athletes were not affected by the train suspensions because they travelled mainly by bus, while SNCF said delays could occur throughout the weekend.
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French and international security officials are on high alert to prevent disruptions to the Olympics, whose opening ceremony was due to be held outdoors along the Seine river late Friday for a first in Olympic history. The French capital is under a virtual lockdown and intelligence gathering on extremist plots and cyber attacks has been stepped up.
Organizers are also preparing for the possibility of civil unrest.
French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal warned that those responsible could face long prison terms and heavy fines. International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, who visited the Olympic Village where the athletes are staying, said he had no concerns and had “full confidence in the French authorities.”
Contributors: Christine Brennan and Jeff Zillgitt
