France’s high-speed rail network faced severe disruptions on Friday due to coordinated “malicious acts,” including arson, just hours before the Paris Olympics opening ceremony. The attacks, which targeted the TGV network, forced many routes to be canceled, train operator SNCF reported.
SNCF described the incident as a “massive attack on a large scale to paralyse the TGV network,” with simultaneous malicious acts affecting the Atlantic, northern, and eastern lines. The southeastern line remained unaffected due to a thwarted attack. The arson caused significant damage, heavily disrupting traffic and necessitating repairs that would last through the weekend.
Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete condemned the “massive attack” as an “outrageous criminal act” and warned of “very serious consequences” for rail traffic over the weekend. Connections to northern, eastern, and northwestern France were particularly impacted, halving their usual capacity. SNCF chief executive Jean-Pierre Farandou stated that 800,000 passengers were affected, with many trains diverted or canceled.
Passengers were advised to postpone their trips and avoid train stations. At Paris’s Montparnasse station, delays ranged from 30 minutes to almost two hours. Signs indicated that normal traffic was expected to resume by Monday, July 29.
The attacks occurred amid heightened security in Paris for the Olympic opening ceremony, which was set to draw 300,000 spectators and numerous VIPs. The ceremony, a parade along a six-kilometer stretch of the Seine River involving 7,500 competitors on 85 boats, marked the first time a Summer Olympics opened outside the main athletics stadium. This decision was particularly risky given France’s highest alert status for terror attacks.
Jocelyn, a 27-year-old student, described the chaotic scene at Montparnasse station: “We arrived around 7:00 AM but were told we might not be able to leave before Monday. We expected some chaos in Paris with the opening ceremony, but we didn’t think it could be this bad.”
