Paris Olympics: France’s high-speed rail network hit by arson attacks hours before opening ceremony disrupting travel

Hours ahead of the grand opening ceremony for the Olympics 2024 in Paris France’s high-speed rail network has been hit by vandalism including arson attacks inhibiting travel to Paris across France and Europe. Officials would call the attacks “criminal actions”.

As Paris authorities geared up for a spectacular parade on and along the Seine River, three fires were reported near the tracks on the high-speed lines of Atlantique, Nord, and Est, causing disruptions that affected hundreds of thousands of travelers.

Among them were two German athletes in showjumping who were on a train to Paris to take part in the opening ceremony but had to turn back in Belgium because of the closures, and will now miss the ceremony, German news agency dpa reported.

SNCF, the state-owned railway operator, said vandals had damaged signal boxes along the lines connecting Paris with cities such as Lille in the north, Bordeaux in the west and Strasbourg in the east. Another attack on the Paris-Marseille line was foiled.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Two security sources said the modus operandi meant initial suspicions fell on leftist militants or environmental activists, but they said there was not yet any evidence

“Early this morning, acts of sabotage were carried out in a prepared and coordinated manner on SNCF installations. The consequences on the rail network are massive and serious,” wrote French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal on his X account (Formerly known as Twitter).

“Our intelligence services and law enforcement are mobilized to find and punish the perpetrators of these criminal acts,” the tweet further stated.

More than 300,000 spectators are expected to line the banks of the River Seine when the athletes parade through the heart of Paris on a flotilla of barges and riverboats, part of an extravagant opening ceremony that will be watched by a global audience.

France is deploying 45,000 police, 10,000 soldiers and 2,000 private security agents to secure the Games’ opening ceremony. Snipers will be on rooftops and drones keeping watch from the air.

(With inputs from agencies)

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