PARIS, July 26, 2024 (AFP) - France's high-speed rail network was hit by
"malicious acts" including arson attacks that have disrupted the transport
system, train operator SNCF said Friday, hours before the opening ceremony of
the Paris Olympics.

A source close to the investigation told AFP the attacks were coordinated
acts of "sabotage".

"This is a massive attack on a large scale to paralyse the TGV network," SNCF
told AFP, adding that many routes will have to be cancelled.

"SNCF was the victim of several simultaneous malicious acts overnight," the
national train operator said, adding that the attacks affected its Atlantic,
northern and eastern lines.

"Arson attacks were started to damage our facilities," it said, adding that
traffic on the affected lines was "heavily disrupted" and the situation would
last through the weekend as repairs are conducted.

Trains were being diverted to different tracks "but we will have to cancel a
large number of them", the statement said.

The southeastern line was not affected as "a malicious act was foiled".

SNCF urged passengers to postpone their trips and stay away from train
stations.

- Olympics under heavy security -

The attacks were launched as Paris was under heavy security ahead of the
opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics, with 300,000 spectators and an
audience of VIPs expected at the event.

The parade on Friday evening will see up to 7,500 competitors travel down a
six-kilometre (four-mile) stretch of the river Seine on a flotilla of 85
boats.

It will be the first time a Summer Olympics has opened outside the main
athletics stadium, a decision fraught with danger at a time when France is on
its highest alert for terror attacks.

At Paris's Montparnasse train station, dozens of passengers were waiting for
more information about their trips after delays of 30 minutes to almost two
hours were announced.

"Normal traffic is expected to resume on Monday, July 29," read one of the
signs in the departure hall.

"We arrived around 7:00 am but we were told that we might not be able to
leave before Monday," said 27-year-old student Jocelyn, who had planned to
travel to Bretagne and refused to give her full name.

"We expected it to be a bit chaotic in Paris with the opening ceremony
scheduled for this evening, but we didn't think it could be this bad," she
said.