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Traffic on France’s high-speed TGV trains is gradually improving after the arson attack, but passengers should still be prepared for delays of one to two hours on some lines, SNCF reported Saturday morning. Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete said full service was expected to resume on Monday.
July 27, 2024 13:47
France’s high-speed rail network was hit by coordinated arson attacks on Friday night, disrupting travel in France and Paris, especially ahead of the Olympic Games. So far, no one has claimed responsibility for the attacks.
SNCF said that today France will have 7 high-speed trains in operation, an average of 10, distributed on the North, West and Southwest lines, with delays of one to two hours expected. The Eastern High-Speed Railway has resumed normal operation. Conversely, the North Line may experience delays even on Sunday.
Repair work on the tracks following Friday’s attack continued overnight, but rain made the work difficult, according to French national railway company SNCF. The airline also reiterated its commitment to transport the Olympic team.
Connections between Paris and Germany have been restored
Train connections between Paris and Germany have also been disrupted, but are now running to a normal timetable, the German news agency dpa reported. German railway company Deutsche Bahn said the line between Paris and Frankfurt via Saarbrücken, Germany and Strasbourg, France, as well as trains to Stuttgart in southwestern Germany were mainly affected. Passengers affected by these suspensions and disruptions can use their tickets for other connections. However, seats are required on trains to France.
Disruptions and train delays are expected over the weekend on the route between Cologne in western Germany and Paris via Brussels, where Eurostar trains operate. On Saturday, the company also reported disruptions on some routes between Paris and London.
read more The sabotage was well prepared. What did the French know about railroad attacks?
The last attack was blocked
In the early hours of Friday morning, attackers damaged infrastructure at four carefully chosen nodes crucial to the Paris mainline. In the tunnels, they first cut and set fire to bundles of cables that control, among other things, train signals, SNCF management said in a news release. Another attack, which would have been a fifth, was stopped before it began. During the night, maintenance crews on the tracks noticed the presence of freight wagons and people in prohibited areas. Police seized their cars, but the occupants escaped. The sabotage affected at least 800,000 passengers, including 250,000 in the Ile-de-France region around Paris.
The attacks on French railways also affected trains from Paris to London, which usually pass through Lille and through the Channel Tunnel. Eurostar said it expected about a fifth of its services to be cancelled over the weekend and all trains to be delayed by about 1.5 hours.
The National Office for the Fight against Organized Crime (Junalco) has taken over the investigation into the sabotage. Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau announced that perpetrators of destruction of property important for the functioning of the state, sabotage of automated data processing systems, and conspiracy to commit these crimes face up to 20 years in prison and a fine of 150,000 euros (3.8 million kroner).
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