Arson attacks disrupt train traffic in France ahead of the Olympic Games, SNCF said

It was initially unclear who was behind the alleged attacks, and the authorities did not announce any arrests. The public prosecutor’s office did not open a counterterrorism investigation, but rather an investigation into organized crime, and suggested that a number of individuals or groups could be responsible for the attacks.

The office is considering charges such as “damage to property affecting the fundamental interests of the country” and “attacks on an automated data processing system.” Each of these possible charges could result in a lengthy prison sentence.

Jean Castex, head of the Paris transport system and former French prime minister, ordered “increased vigilance” throughout the capital region’s network. “We are deployed in all areas,” he said, according to French public broadcaster, focusing particularly “on the sensitive areas of our networks.”

No one was reportedly injured, but French officials said the impact on travelers and the country’s reputation ahead of the Olympics was severe. “The consequences for the rail network are massive and serious,” Attal said in a post on X, adding: “Our intelligence and law enforcement agencies are mobilized to find and punish the perpetrators of these criminal acts.”

In the run-up to the Paris Olympics, security was a top priority. Most preparations remained under wraps, but plans were announced to deploy 15,000 soldiers, 35,000 police officers and 22,000 private contractors to work in and around stadiums and sports facilities across the country.

The biggest security concern was a terrorist attack like the one that took place in Paris in 2015 or in Nice in 2016. But cyber attacks are also feared. The French cybersecurity authority quickly issued a statement on Friday that there had been no cyber attack during the train disruptions.

Further concern was raised by reports that Russia was paying amateur saboteurs to carry out operations across Europe. On Tuesday, French police arrested a Russian national in connection with an alleged plot to “destabilize” the Games, prosecutors said.

Tensions in the Middle East have also been a major factor in security concerns at the Games, with armed guards escorting Israeli athletes to their first soccer match against Mali on Wednesday amid protests against the war in Gaza. There were also online threats against the Israeli team, evoking memories of the terrorist attack that killed Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Games.

There have been previous suspected arson attacks on the railway network in France and other European countries, usually attributed to criminals but sometimes to political activists. However, the scale of this incident and its timing with the Olympic Games put the recent incidents in a new light.

The French railway network was, in some ways, an obvious target ahead of the opening ceremonies. For weeks before the Olympics, tickets to and from Paris were unavailable for this Friday, with the SNCF citing a lack of clarity on security measures.

The target of the acts of sabotage was apparently three French high-speed lines, at exactly the time when around 250,000 people were expected to be on the line on Friday and 800,000 over the weekend.

So far, this seems to have had less of an impact on the Olympics than on Parisians wanting to escape their city to begin the cherished national tradition of the August holidays.

The last weekend of July is usually one of the busiest times in France as Parisians head off on vacation. Unlike in normal years, many travelers were also expected to descend on the capital to attend the opening ceremonies or Olympic competitions in the coming days.

“We have damage and deliberate fires in pipes through which many cables pass, cables used for signalling,” Jean-Pierre Farandou, head of SNCF, told reporters. “They have to be repaired, cable by cable. It is a very delicate job.”

Before rail traffic can resume, all repaired signals must be tested, said Farandou. “That takes time,” he said.

Eurostar, one of the main transport lines between Britain and the European continent, also reported delays “due to coordinated acts of vandalism in France affecting the high-speed line between Paris and Lille” and said trains were arriving in France an hour and a half later than scheduled. The train advised passengers to postpone their journeys and said a quarter of its train services had been cancelled throughout the weekend.

“At this point, it is probably one or more acts of vandalism, a kind of coordinated sabotage,” French Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra told Le Parisien. “We will assess the impact for today, for the travelers, for the athletes and for this weekend.”

The SNCF said its teams were on site to identify the problem and begin repairs. “Some trains are being diverted and a large number of trains are cancelled,” it said.

Attal thanked the “firefighters who were deployed at the affected sites” and the “SNCF employees who will carry out the necessary work to restore the network” – as well as the affected travelers for “their patience, understanding and the civic spirit they have shown”.

Eloise Lecat sat on the floor of Gare Montparnasse, the Paris train station most affected by the disruptions, with her huge suitcase and her three-year-old daughter Léonie on the floor in front of her.

They were heading to the Basque Country to visit Lecat’s mother during the August holidays – which this year coincide with the Olympics. But their 10:15 a.m. train was cancelled because of the night’s disruptions, so Lecat was desperately looking for other transport options – bus, car or anything to get them out of Paris. Léonie was desperate to see her cousins, Lecat said. “We will look for a good solution and see what happens.”

Bisset reported from London. Claire Parker in Paris and Paul Schemm in London contributed to this report