French rail operator SNCF reported this morning. According to the AFP agency, traffic will be severely disrupted on the opening day of the Olympic Games, with difficulties continuing at least until the end of the weekend.
"Last night, SNCF was the victim of several concurrent malicious acts affecting the LGV Atlantique, Nord & Est. Arson attacks were started to damage our facilities. The South East LGV is not affected, a malicious act has been foiled," says X status of SNCF Réseau.
"Following this massive attack aimed at paralysing the high-speed network, a large number of trains have been diverted or cancelled. Travellers affected will be contacted by email or SMS. We ask all travellers who can to postpone their journey and not to go to the station. All tickets for these disrupted journeys are exchangeable and refundable," adds SNCF Voyageurs on its X account.
The situation is most tense at Montparnasse station, where hundreds of passengers are still waiting in vain for further information. Trains are running up to two and a half hours late and many have been cancelled, according to French media.
The Summer Olympics are opening tonight in Paris. The ceremony on the Seine will be accompanied by massive security measures, including a no-fly zone within 150 kilometres of the capital.
Eurostar has also urged passengers to postpone travel between London and Paris. And according to Sky News, Deutsche Bahn has also warned its customers.
The Paris prosecutor has launched an investigation and announced that the attackers could be jailed for 20 years.
