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'Sabotage' on French rail network before Olympics: What we know
AFP19 minutes agoArson attacks scrambled France's high-speed rail network for tens of thousands of passengers on Friday, after what officials called premeditated acts of "sabotage" just hours before the Paris Olympics opened. Friday's attacks were launched as the French capital was under heavy security ahead of the Games opening ceremony, with 300,000 spectators and an audience of VIPs expected at the event. - What was targeted? Fires that affected France's Atlantic, northern and eastern lines led to cancellations and delays at a time of particularly heavy traffic for summer holiday travel. "Early this morning, coordinated and prepared acts of sabotage were perpetrated against installations of SNCF," the national rail operator, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said. SNCF chief executive Jean-Pierre Farandou said the attackers had started fires in "conduits carrying multiple (fibre-optic) cables" that relay "safety information for drivers" or control the motors for points that change rails. - Who is affected? Around 800,000 passengers are expected to be affected over the weekend as the damage is heavy and labour-intensive to repair. France's rail network was expected to be busy this weekend, not only due to the Olympics but also as people return from or leave for their summer holidays. "There are huge and serious consequences for the rail network," added Attal. Passenger services chief Christophe Fanichet said there were delays of 90 minutes to two hours on services between Paris and France's north and east. "We ask people please not to come to the station, because if you haven't heard from us, your train won't be running," Fanichet told reporters. One major branch of the network, the line to France's southeast, was spared. High-speed rail operator Eurostar said around one in four services across its network linking France, the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany would be cancelled, including trains from Paris to London. Others would be slower as they will run on regular lines not designed for high-speed trains. - What happens now? Farandou of SNCF said: "There's a huge number of bundled cables. We have to repair them one by one, it's a manual operation" requiring "hundreds of workers". But by early afternoon Friday, Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete said that some departures were going ahead, with "one in three" trains operating from Paris's Montparnasse station, terminus of the line towards Bordeaux and the Atlantic coast. He too urged people not to come to the station without confirmation of their trip. At Montparnasse, passengers were waiting for information, with display boards showing delays of more than two hours. "Normal traffic is expected to resume on Monday, July 29," read one of the signs in the departure hall. Paris's RATP transport network was also operating under "increased vigilance" following the railway attacks, its chief executive Jean Castex said as he visited a control station. - Who are the culprits? SNCF CEO Farandou said railway workers doing night maintenance in central France had spotted unauthorised people, who fled when the workers called in police. France's intelligence services were scrambling to determine the perpetrators of the sabotage, a security source told AFP. The arson method used resembled past attacks by extreme-left actors, the source added. In September, arson attacks on conduits holding railway cables caused travel chaos in northern Germany, with a claim of responsibility posted to an extreme-left website. - What legal action is being taken? Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said in a statement her office had opened a probe into a suspected bid to undermine "fundamental national interests". The investigation will also look at suspected damage inflicted by an organised gang and attacks on an automated data processing system. Her statement described the acts of sabotage as "deliberate damage caused to sites of SNCF on the night of July 25-26, 2024." burs-tgb-sjw/jj
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- 1:01'Sabotage' on French rail network before Olympics: What we knowAFPArson attacks scrambled France's high-speed rail network for tens of thousands of passengers on Friday, after what officials called premeditated acts of "sabotage" just hours before the Paris Olympics opened. Friday's attacks were launched as the French capital was under heavy security ahead of the Games opening ceremony, with 300,000 spectators and an audience of VIPs expected at the event. - What was targeted? Fires that affected France's Atlantic, northern and eastern lines led to cancellations and delays at a time of particularly heavy traffic for summer holiday travel. "Early this morning, coordinated and prepared acts of sabotage were perpetrated against installations of SNCF," the national rail operator, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said. SNCF chief executive Jean-Pierre Farandou said the attackers had started fires in "conduits carrying multiple (fibre-optic) cables" that relay "safety information for drivers" or control the motors for points that change rails. - Who is affected? Around 800,000 passengers are expected to be affected over the weekend as the damage is heavy and labour-intensive to repair. France's rail network was expected to be busy this weekend, not only due to the Olympics but also as people return from or leave for their summer holidays. "There are huge and serious consequences for the rail network," added Attal. Passenger services chief Christophe Fanichet said there were delays of 90 minutes to two hours on services between Paris and France's north and east. "We ask people please not to come to the station, because if you haven't heard from us, your train won't be running," Fanichet told reporters. One major branch of the network, the line to France's southeast, was spared. High-speed rail operator Eurostar said around one in four services across its network linking France, the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany would be cancelled, including trains from Paris to London. Others would be slower as they will run on regular lines not designed for high-speed trains. - What happens now? Farandou of SNCF said: "There's a huge number of bundled cables. We have to repair them one by one, it's a manual operation" requiring "hundreds of workers". But by early afternoon Friday, Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete said that some departures were going ahead, with "one in three" trains operating from Paris's Montparnasse station, terminus of the line towards Bordeaux and the Atlantic coast. He too urged people not to come to the station without confirmation of their trip. At Montparnasse, passengers were waiting for information, with display boards showing delays of more than two hours. "Normal traffic is expected to resume on Monday, July 29," read one of the signs in the departure hall. Paris's RATP transport network was also operating under "increased vigilance" following the railway attacks, its chief executive Jean Castex said as he visited a control station. - Who are the culprits? SNCF CEO Farandou said railway workers doing night maintenance in central France had spotted unauthorised people, who fled when the workers called in police. France's intelligence services were scrambling to determine the perpetrators of the sabotage, a security source told AFP. The arson method used resembled past attacks by extreme-left actors, the source added. In September, arson attacks on conduits holding railway cables caused travel chaos in northern Germany, with a claim of responsibility posted to an extreme-left website. - What legal action is being taken? Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said in a statement her office had opened a probe into a suspected bid to undermine "fundamental national interests". The investigation will also look at suspected damage inflicted by an organised gang and attacks on an automated data processing system. Her statement described the acts of sabotage as "deliberate damage caused to sites of SNCF on the night of July 25-26, 2024." burs-tgb-sjw/jj19 minutes ago
- 1:05France's high-speed rail network hit by arson attacks hours before Olympics beginWGN ChicagoFrance’s high-speed rail network was hit Friday with widespread and “criminal” acts of vandalism including arson attacks, paralyzing travel to Paris from across the rest of France and Europe only hours before the grand opening ceremony of the Olympics.33 minutes ago
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- 0:39Queues grow in St Pancras after Eurostar cancellationsITNLarge queues form at London St Pancras railway station as Eurostar services are being hit by cancellations as a result of a "malicious attack" on the service in France. One in four Eurostar trains will be cancelled on today and over the weekend following “co-ordinated” vandalism which caused disruption ahead of the Olympics in Paris.59 minutes ago
- 2:23Vandals target France's high-speed rail ahead of OlympicsCBS-DallasFrance's high-speed rail system was hit by several acts of "criminal" vandalism Friday, disrupting travel ahead of the Olympics.59 minutes ago
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