Arson attacks in France are disrupting train services across Europe

LONDON:

Arson attacks on French railways caused widespread delays and cancellations of train services across Europe on Friday, the day of the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics.

TGV high-speed train services on the Atlantic, northern and eastern lines of France were severely disrupted due to arson attacks aimed at destroying facilities, French national railway company SNCF announced on the morning of Friday X.

According to the SNCF, 800,000 passengers were affected by the attacks, with some trains diverted and a large number of trains cancelled.

International travel across the Channel and to neighboring Belgium has also been suspended. Eurostar canceled 25 percent of scheduled flights and trains from the Netherlands to Paris experienced delays of an extra 1.5 hours, according to Dutch rail company NS.

Friday’s disruption also caused delays and cancellations of Eurostar trains departing from St. London Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord, with around three trains canceled and a further eight delayed from 4pm. London time on Friday.

The train cancellations also caused British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to change his travel plans to France for the Olympics opening ceremony, taking a flight instead of a train to Paris for the ceremony, according to Downing Street.

Despite the attacks, Friday night’s Paris Olympics opening ceremony will go ahead unaffected as the incidents have no impact on the transport network in the Paris region, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo confirmed, according to French media BFMTV .

“All the evidence shows that these acts were deliberate,” outgoing transport minister Patrice Vergrite told BFMTV on Friday. Outgoing Prime Minister Gabriel Attal told X, “Our intelligence and law enforcement agencies are mobilizing to find and punish the perpetrators of these crimes.”

A third of the trains are expected to be in service by Friday afternoon, Vergriete said. ■

Delayed passengers are seen at a train station in Paris, France, July 26, 2024. France’s high-speed TGV trains on the Atlantic, Northern and Eastern routes were severely disrupted due to arson attacks targeting facilities, the French national railway company SNCF reported on X’s social media account on Friday morning.

Passengers wait for trains at a train station in Paris, France, July 26, 2024. France’s high-speed TGV trains on the Atlantic, Northern and Eastern routes were severely disrupted due to arson attacks targeting facilities, the French national railway company SNCF reported on X’s social media account on Friday morning. A train delay notice is pictured on a train from Lille to Paris, France, July 26, 2024. France’s high-speed TGV train services on the Atlantic, Northern and Eastern routes were severely disrupted due to arson attacks targeting facilities, the French national railway company SNCF on X’s social media account on Friday morning.

Workers hand out food to delayed passengers at a train station in Paris, France, July 26, 2024. France’s high-speed TGV trains on the Atlantic, Northern and Eastern routes were severely disrupted due to arson attacks targeting facilities, the French national railway The SNCF company reported on its X social media account on Friday morning.

Passengers wait for trains at a train station in Paris, France, July 26, 2024. France’s high-speed TGV trains on the Atlantic, Northern and Eastern routes were severely disrupted due to arson attacks targeting facilities, the French national railway company SNCF reported on X’s social media account on Friday morning.

According to the SNCF, 800,000 passengers were affected by the attacks, with some trains diverted and many cancelled. (Xinhua/Meng Dingbo)

Passengers wait for trains at a train station in Paris, France, July 26, 2024. France’s high-speed TGV trains on the Atlantic, Northern and Eastern routes were severely disrupted due to arson attacks targeting facilities, the French national railway company SNCF reported on X’s social media account on Friday morning.

According to the SNCF, 800,000 passengers were affected by the attacks, with some trains diverted and many cancelled.