French high-speed rail vandalised before Olympic ceremony

By Paul Kirby, July 26: Hours before the opening ceremony for the Paris Olympics, French rail company SNCF says its high-speed network has been targeted by a "massive attack" involving "malicious acts" aimed at paralysing the system.

Several high-speed TGV lines have been hit to the west, north and east of Paris and queues have formed at Montparnasse station which serves destinations to the west of the capital.

Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete has strongly condemned "criminal acts" that he said would affect people's holiday plans.

A number of trains have been cancelled and SNCF has warned that the situation could last "at least all weekend while repairs are conducted".

Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra described the attacks as "downright appalling", adding that the immediate impact on the public and Olympic athletes was currently being assessed, as well as the potential effect on transporting teams to competition sites over the weekend.

More than 300,000 spectators are expected in the heart of Paris on Friday for an opening ceremony that will see thousands of Olympic athletes sailing down the River Seine.

SNCF said fires had been set alight aimed at damaging its facilities. Chief Executive Jean-Pierre Farrandou estimated that as many as 800,000 travellers were caught up in the disruption.

A source close to the investigation told AFP news agency that the attack involved acts of "sabotage".

Although no one has admitted to targeting the high-speed network, there will inevitably be concern that it involves apparently coordinated acts of vandalism.

Eurostar said its services between London and Paris had also been affected by the "acts of malice", because of its use of the Paris to Lille high-speed line.

Eurostar and other high-speed services have been diverted onto other lines, causing a knock-on effect on other services.

SNCF said its systems had detected acts of sabotage at about 04:00 (02:00 GMT). Its teams were already on site, it added, in an attempt to assess damage and begin repairs but warned that the situation was likely to last throughout the weekend and potentially beyond.

Jean-Pierre Farrandou said thousands of rail workers were being deployed across the network.

"This was supposed to be a holiday," he told French TV.

"It's the big day for going on summer holiday, and it's also of course the opening of the Olympics with lots of French people coming to Paris to enjoy the Games and all of that's ruined."