Olympics: Millions of commuters affected by ‘massive strike’ on French railway lines in Paris ahead of Games opening ceremony
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French railway company SNFC reported that its high-speed network has been the subject of “acts of vandalism” aimed at crippling the transport system.
The attack takes place just hours before the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games and focuses specifically on high-speed trains, the TGV.
“Last night, SNCF was the victim of several acts of vandalism on the Atlantic, Northern and Eastern high-speed lines. Fires were deliberately set to damage our facilities,” the company said in a statement.
According to BBC journalist Hugh Schofield, there were multiple fires at three points on the lines leading west, north and east of Paris.
Due to this, many trains have been cancelled and long queues have formed at Gare Montparnasse station in Paris.
French Transport Minister Patrice Vergit strongly condemned these “criminal acts” and confirmed that investigators had found various “incendiary devices”, But it refused to say who might be behind the attacks on the rail network.
Meanwhile, French broadcaster BFMTV reported that an incendiary device was found on the LGV line in Marseille in May when the Olympic torch was in the city, according to a police source.
Vargitte said security forces were on high alert.
In total, around 800,000 passengers are affected As for the incident, the president of the SNCF group told French media.
image Source, Reuters
The railroad company said the situation “could persist at least through the weekend” until repairs are made.
A fourth arson attack, aimed south towards Lyon and the Mediterranean, was foiled, Schofield reported. And he added that no one has claimed responsibility, “but it’s hard not to see any connection to the Olympic Games.”
A source close to the investigation claims the arson attacks were acts of “sabotage” and that They were “clearly coordinated”.
It was expected to be a busy day at Paris stations, with on the one hand visitors arriving for the Olympic opening ceremony and, on the other, many Parisians leaving for the start of their summer holidays.
French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal confirmed that “acts of sabotage” had been carried out “in a prepared and coordinated manner on SNCF facilities” and that The impact is “huge and severe”According to what he said in a message on X (formerly Twitter).
He said French security forces were searching for those responsible for the sabotage.
For his part, the director general of the SNCF, Jean-Pierre Farandeau, said that “this will last the entire weekend, because it will take a long time to fix it… today is a day of sadness.”
He also wanted to reassure the French by saying that they were Thousands of people were mobilized to fix the networkHelp guide those who need help at train stations and help people get around wherever possible.
Farando said the attackers opened fire “Conduits carrying multiple cables (fibre optic)” which transmits “safety information for drivers”, the AFP agency reported, and detailed the degree of caution with which repairs would be carried out in the affected areas.
“There are a lot of strings tied up there. We have to do this.” Correct them one by one“It’s a manual operation that requires hundreds of workers,” he said.
Paris 2024, the organiser of this year’s Olympic Games, says it is “assessing the situation” after vandalism on France’s high-speed rail network.
In relation to the incident, the chairman of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach said he had “full confidence in the French authorities.”
image Source, Reuters
“Last night there were coordinated malicious attacks, affecting several TGV lines and causing severe traffic disruptions this weekend. I strongly condemn these criminal actions, which will put the holidays of many French people at risk,” he wrote on social media.
Vergitte thanks SNCF workers Try to restore services as soon as possible.
Currently, Eurostar services to and from Paris in France are being diverted and many trains are running late.
Trains between Paris and London will continue to run on “classic” lines, but delays will cost passengers an extra hour on their journey.
SNCF He asked people travelling by train to postpone their journey if they could, and advised “not to go to the station.”
The railway company also announced that disrupted journeys are refundable and refundable.
Passengers stranded in Paris
The main Gare du Nord complex in Paris is packed with hundreds of stranded travellers patiently waiting for news about delayed trains after overnight attacks, with BBC journalist Andrew Harding reporting from there.
Gare du Nord is the main hub for trains leaving for London, Brussels and Amsterdam.
“No news. “We’re just waiting to see if they put us on the slow train.”says a Frenchman whose train to Amsterdam was cancelled.
Groups of armed French soldiers and police can be seen patrolling the station. Here and at the nearby Gare de l’Est, which serves eastern France, many other trains from the regular network arrive and depart.
An SNCF official at the Gare de l’Est told Harding that they were planning to run high-speed TGV trains on other slow lines, which would mean long delays and disruptions, But it will also keep the network running.
The general mood appears to be calmer. Many Parisians leave the city for summer holidays, while French and foreign tourists arrive to attend the Olympic Games.
and in London
At St Pancras International station in central London, where trains to and from Paris arrive and depart, There are long queues of people waiting.
Services are running from London to Paris, but passengers could face longer journeys of up to an hour.
Some trains have also been cancelled.
Eurostar is now encouraging passengers to postpone their journeys if possible, amid details of further delays and cancellations to services between the UK and France.
Britain’s Department for Transport said it was “in close contact” with Eurostar and French authorities regarding the ongoing disruption.
Investigation likely to focus on activists and extremists
Analysis by Frank Gardner – BBC security correspondent
France has no shortage of protesters when it comes to those who feel deeply offended by their government’s policies, whether in relation to Ukraine, West Africa or, within the country, over the wearing of the headscarf.
Over the past decade, the country has been the victim of several major attacks in Paris, Nice and elsewhere, all linked to the so-called Islamic State (ISIS). There have also been smaller, isolated, but equally violent attacks against individuals by jihadists.
Today’s attack on France’s high-speed rail network was classified as sabotage rather than terrorism (no deaths). So it is unlikely that ISIS and al-Qaeda are high on the list of suspects.
In April, French President Emmanuel Macron said he had no doubt Moscow would try to disrupt the Olympics in some way.
Investigators will focus their attention on known activists and extremists, as well as any possible links to the Kremlin.
The announcement by the Paris prosecutor’s office that severe sanctions would be imposed on those responsible will, first of all, deter those who might be tempted to carry out similar acts of sabotage.
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