French rail network hit by arson attack, trains cancelled ahead of Olympics

France’s high-speed rail network was hit by a series of “malicious” acts, including arson, leading to cancellations and delays to French train services on Friday, on the eve of the opening of the Paris Olympics.

Railway operator SNCF said in a statement that its network suffered several simultaneous attacks in the early hours of Friday morning, with fires damaging its facilities and fibre optic lines also affected. The high-speed LGV Atlantic line and the Nord and Est lines were all hit, causing cascading disruptions that SNCF expects will affect hundreds of thousands of people throughout the weekend.

“A large number of trains have been diverted or cancelled following this massive attack aimed at paralyzing the high-speed rail network,” SNCF said, according to a CNBC translation. The company advised passengers who were able to go to stations not to do so. It added that ticket holders whose journeys were disrupted would be contacted by email or text message.

The knock-on effect is expected to cause delays on other domestic and intercity routes.

The attack came on the eve of the Olympics’ opening ceremony, which is scheduled to take place at 7:30 p.m. local time (1:30 p.m. ET) on Friday on the banks of the Seine in Paris and will feature tens of thousands of athletes and spectators and a heavy police presence.

Eurostar international trains connecting the UK, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany were also affected due to the disruption to the high-speed rail line between Paris and Lille.

Eurostar passengers will be moved onto slower local lines to and from the French capital, adding around an hour and a half to journey times, while a number of trains have been cancelled, the airline said.

Eurostar said in a morning update that passengers were advised to postpone their travel if possible and that the company would offer free itinerary changes or cancellation refunds.

Transportation Secretary Patrice Viguerte condemned the “criminal acts” that occurred at multiple locations simultaneously. Viguerte told a news conference that an investigation is ongoing, according to NBC News.

SNCF president Jean-Pierre Farrandou said in a briefing to French television that weekend disruptions would affect 800,000 people.

“We are sorry that the trains that the French people are looking forward to cannot run,” Farandou said, according to a translation by NBC News. “Today, the main departure line was attacked, and it was an attack on the French people.”

“The celebration was ruined.”

It is not clear who carried out the attack. Farandu said the attack took place at 4 a.m. and involved multiple locations, fiber optic lines were affected and explosives were found at the scene. He added that thousands of workers would be mobilized to re-lay the lines.

French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said on social media platform X that he was grateful to the firefighters who rushed to the disaster site and the French National Railway Company staff who were restoring services.

Attal also said his thoughts were with all the French people and families preparing to go on vacation and that he shared their anger. It is well known that Parisians leave Paris in large numbers for the summer vacation in August, and many offices and hotel venues will be closed.

Protesters and activists have spoken out on several issues surrounding the Olympics in recent weeks, highlighting the environmental and social impacts of the Games and the inclusion of Israeli athletes amid the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.

French officials are on high alert for disruptions to the Olympics, with 45,000 police expected to be deployed for the opening ceremony, Reuters reported. Tensions are particularly high due to the recent assassination of former U.S. President Donald Trump and deadly terrorist attacks in Paris.

Parts of the city center, including around the Louvre, Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower, have been restricted to access only by QR code or staff.

“It’s a little bit complicated around the Seine, a little bit complicated with traffic, a little bit difficult to walk, but I’m sure we’re going to have an absolutely fantastic opening ceremony and a great Olympics today,” Aiman ​​Ezzat, CEO of French technology company Capgemini, told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe” on Friday morning.