France’s high-speed train lines were targeted by several “malicious” acts, including arson, on Friday, in what has been described as “coordinated sabotage” to disrupt travel ahead of the Opening Ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games.
France’s state railways company SNCF said the disruption has affected Atlantic, Northern and Eastern high-speed lines, with damage caused to several of its facilities. SNCF said one of the acts was “foiled.”
SNCF said travel traffic on these lines is “very disrupted,” with the railway network needing to divert and cancel a large number of trains. They outlined that team members are onsite to oversee repairs, however, said the situation is expected to last the entire weekend.
“We ask all travelers to postpone their trip and not to go to the station,” the statement said.
The Rémi Train Centre Val de Loire has also said their train lines will be disrupted until at least Monday, with a fire near the tracks in Courtalain in northern France causing disruptions for travel to Paris.
The disruptions come just hours before the Olympic torch relay concludes and the Opening Ceremony begins.
Source has reached out to the International Olympic Committee for comment.
The French Minister of Sports and the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Amélie Oudéa-Castera said the disruption to the train lines are “a sort of coordinated sabotage.”
Speaking to source, Oudéa-Castera condemned the attacks in the “strongest possible terms,” and said it is “truly appalling.”
“Playing against the Games is playing against France, against your camp, against your country,” she said, according to source.
Oudéa-Castera said the incidents will disrupt travel on Friday as well as the weekend.
“We will assess the impacts on travelers, athletes, and ensure the proper transport of all delegations to the competition sites,” she said.
