French Rail Network 'Sabotaged' Ahead of Paris Olympics: Major Train Routes Diverted, Cancelled

Paris: France’s high-speed rail network has been severely disrupted by "malicious acts," including arson attacks, according to train operator SNCF. The disruptions come just hours before the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics. A source close to the investigation told the media that the attacks were coordinated acts of “sabotage.” 

Fires were set along several high-speed lines, leading to widespread train cancellations and chaos for hundreds of thousands of travelers during one of the busiest weekends of the year.

"This is a massive attack on a large scale to paralyse the TGV network," said SNCF adding that many routes will have to be cancelled. Due to widespread and "criminal" acts of vandalism, including arson attacks, travel to Paris from across France and Europe has been paralyzed hours before the Olympics' grand opening ceremony.

Have a look at the train routes facing disruptions due to the large scale hit in France:

• The largest disruption is at Gare Montparnasse in Paris, where trains on the Paris-Tours and Paris-Le Mans routes have been halted in both directions.
• Eurostar updated on X, stating, "All high-speed trains to and from Paris are being diverted via the classic line. Some trains have been canceled, while others are redirected." Passengers are advised to check their website for disruption updates.
• Eurostar, the popular high-speed rail service connecting the UK and continental Europe, is expected to experience journeys 1.5 hours longer today due to the unavailability of the high-speed line. 
• The incident have paralyzed several high-speed lines, disrupting travel between Paris and the rest of France, as well as to neighboring countries.
• Travel to and from London beneath the English Channel, to neighboring Belgium, and across the west, north, and east of France has been affected by a series of coordinated overnight incidents, according to the French national rail company SNCF.
• High-speed TGV (Trains à Grande Vitesse) traffic on the Atlantic, North, and East axes is severely disrupted, with some trains diverted and many cancelled.
• Travelers have been advised to verify the status of their train before heading to the station to prevent overcrowding.