France's high-speed rail network faced severe disruptions due to "malicious acts," including arson, just hours before the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, according to train operator SNCF on Friday. An investigation source revealed to AFP that these incidents were coordinated "sabotage" efforts.


SNCF described the situation as a large-scale attempt to cripple the TGV network, resulting in the cancellation of many routes. The national train operator reported simultaneous malicious acts targeting its Atlantic, northern, and eastern lines overnight. These arson attacks caused significant damage, leading to substantial disruptions that would persist through the weekend as repairs were undertaken.


Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete condemned the attacks as an "outrageous criminal act" with "very serious consequences" for rail traffic throughout the weekend. He indicated that connections to northern, eastern, and northwestern France would be halved, affecting 800,000 passengers. Although trains were being rerouted, many cancellations were inevitable. The southeastern line remained unaffected due to a foiled attempt.


SNCF urged passengers to postpone their trips and avoid train stations. At Paris's Montparnasse station, passengers faced delays of 30 minutes to almost two hours. Signs in the departure hall suggested that normal traffic would not resume until Monday, July 29. Jocelyn, a 27-year-old student planning to travel to Brittany, expressed frustration: "We arrived around 7:00 am but were told we might not be able to leave before Monday. We expected some chaos due to the opening ceremony, but this is far worse than anticipated."


Meanwhile, Paris was under heavy security for the Summer Olympics opening ceremony, with 300,000 spectators and numerous VIPs expected. The Friday evening parade will feature up to 7,500 athletes traveling along a six-kilometer stretch of the Seine River on 85 boats. This marks the first time the Summer Olympics will open outside the main athletics stadium, a decision fraught with risk given France's highest alert status for terror threats.