Travel chaos in Paris after ‘malicious acts’ ahead of Olympics opening ceremony

French high-speed rail networks including Eurostar were hit by arson attacks disrupting travel to and from Paris only hours before the Olympic opening ceremony.

Major hubs in the French capital were severely affected, with Prime Minister Gabriel Attal saying there would be “massive and serious” consequences both for people trying to travel to Paris and for those heading to other parts of the country or across the Channel.

Security has been incredibly tight in the centre of Paris in preparation for the ambitious opening ceremony, which will see athletes travel along the Seine in a flotilla of boats.

There was no immediate evidence of a link to the Games, while the AFP news agency spoke to a security source who claimed the nature of the sabotage points to the French extreme left.

National rail company SNCF said its Atlantic, North and East networks were damaged in the incidents, with fires laid across the tracks, while an attempted attack in the South-East was foiled.

Trains from London to Paris and Lille were being delayed by around an hour and a half, with a quarter cancelled. Eurostar said this would remain the case over the weekend, with the service not back to normal until Monday.

All high-speed trains to and from Paris have been diverted to a slower line and the company urged customers to postpone their journeys if possible.

Writing on the social media site X, Attal said: “Early this morning, acts of sabotage were carried out in a prepared and coordinated manner on SNCF installations.

“The consequences on the rail network are massive and serious. I express my sincere gratitude to our firefighters who intervened on the affected sites and to the SNCF agents who will carry out the necessary work to restore the network.

“I think of all the French people, all the families, who were preparing to go on vacation. I share their anger and salute their patience, their understanding and the civic-mindedness they demonstrate.

“Our intelligence services and law enforcement are mobilised to find and punish the perpetrators of these criminal acts.”

The consequences on the rail network are massive and serious.

Prosecutors in Paris opened a national investigation, saying the crimes could carry sentences of 15 to 20 years.

Hundreds of thousands of people were anticipated to be affected by the disruption, including two German show jumpers who were held up in Belgium and will now miss the ceremony, German news agency dpa reported.

The majority of Team GB athletes are arriving at the Games via Eurostar. However the British Olympic Association confirmed that only two athletes were scheduled to arrive on Friday, and had been subject to only minor delays.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s spokeswoman said: “Obviously the situation is concerning, and like the statements you’ve seen from the French, it is also incredibly frustrating for people travelling to attend the Games and the Olympic ceremony.

“The Prime Minister would urge people to continue to follow the travel advice and the statements from the travel operators.”

The spokeswoman added: “Irrespective of this disruption, it is very clear that both in France, here, and around the world, everyone is hugely excited and looking forward to what will be an incredibly successful Olympic Games, and we won’t let disruption overshadow that.”

There was better news on Friday afternoon, with services resuming on the Atlantique high-speed line, which had been completely halted, and improving elsewhere.

France’s Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete told TV network TF1: “At Montparnasse station and Bordeaux station, which were the most affected, we should find one in three trains running this afternoon. Things are already improving.”

French authorities have been on high alert regarding potential threats to the Olympics.

On Sunday, a Russian man, Kirill Gryaznov, was arrested at his flat in Paris accused of being a spy who was part of a plot to disrupt the Games.

Russia is officially barred from the Games due to its war in Ukraine, although just over a dozen athletes from the country are being allowed to compete as neutrals.