French train network attacked ahead of Paris Olympics opening ceremony

France’s high-speed train lines were targeted by multiple “malicious” acts including arson and cyber-attacks on Friday, in what has been described as “coordinated sabotage” to disrupt travel ahead of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony.

The attacks which started at 5:15am have seen train routes connecting to the west, north, and east cancelled, with 800,000 travellers left stranded. The situation is expected to last “at least all weekend while repairs are conducted.”

France’s state railways company SNCF called the overnight disruption a “massive attack aimed at paralysing the high-speed line network.”

In a post on X, SNCF said, “a large number of trains were diverted or cancelled,” and asked, “all travellers to postpone their trip and not go to the station.”

The Rémi Train Centre Val de Loire said travel on its railway lines would be disrupted until at least Monday, with a fire near the tracks in Courtalain, northern France impacting services to Paris.

Lines across the country have been affected, particularly those connecting cities to the capital. Traffic between Paris and Lille in northern France has been suspended, as has traffic from Tours and Le Mans to the southwest of the capital.

Patrice Vergriete, France's Minister Delegate for Transport, condemned the acts in a post uploaded to X: “I strongly condemn these criminal acts which will jeopardise the holiday departures of many French people.”

He thanked the SNCF teams who are working hard to restore traffic conditions as quickly as possible.

The reports come just hours before the Olympic torch relay concludes and the opening ceremony begins with more than 320,000 spectators expected to attend along the River Seine.

France has mobilised a substantial security operation to ensure the games proceed without hiccups at a time when the war in Ukraine is still raging and the Middle East is gripped with turmoil.