France’s national railway company (SNCF) said on Friday (26) that its high-speed train system had been hit by “arson attacks” that caused delays and cancellations of journeys on the opening day of the Paris Olympics.
It is estimated that more than 800,000 people were affected by the sabotage.
The president of the Paris regional council, Valérie Pécresse, denounced “an attempt to destabilize France” on an important day for the country, the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.
The attacks consisted of coordinated fires set on electrical conduits carrying signalling and communications cables. The lines affected, with delays and suspensions, are those on the North (which also includes the TGV to London, Brussels, Amsterdam and Germany), West (Brittany, Bordeaux) and East (Strasbourg, Frankfurt) axes.
The North, East and Montparnasse stations were particularly affected, with thousands of travelers stranded since the morning.
The fourth axis of the Paris TGV, south-east (Lyon, Marseille), was saved because an attempted sabotage against the line “was foiled”, detailed the SNCF. Pécresse explained that on this fourth line the guards put the saboteurs to flight.
Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete spoke out on social media about the incidents: “Coordinated acts of malicious intent targeted several TGV lines. [trem de alta velocidade]causing major traffic disruptions through the weekend,” he said.
Paris’ organized crime division has opened an investigation into the case in relation to “damage to property that could affect the fundamental interests of the nation.”
“We are working closely with our partner, the rail operator SNCF, to assess the situation,” a spokesperson for the Paris Olympics responded when asked by the newspaper. Political on how the situation could affect the opening ceremony, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. (local time, 2:30 p.m. in Brasília).
Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra condemned the acts of vandalism. “It’s completely appalling. Attacking the games is attacking France,” she told broadcaster BFMTV.
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