A few hours before the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games and the big departures for the holidays, the trains remain at the platform. The SNCF suffered, during the night of Thursday 25 to Friday 26 July, a “massive attack” which is paralyzing its TGV network, particularly on the Atlantic, northern and eastern routes. Around 800,000 passengers will be affected by more or less significant train delays this weekend.
Arson attacks started during the night
SNCF claims to have “was the victim last night of several simultaneous malicious acts affecting the high-speed lines (LGV) Atlantique, Nord and Est”. This is’“deliberate fires (which) were started to damage (its) installations”.
Five acts of vandalism or attempted vandalism targeted the SNCF TGV network between 1 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. on Friday, July 26, franceinfo and France Inter learned from sources close to the case. As a result, all intelligence services are mobilized, a security source told France Télévisions.
In detail, installations were affected in Arrou, near Courtalain (Eure-et-Loire), in Croisilles (Pas-de-Calais), between the Meuse TGV station and Lamorville (Meuse), as well as between Pagny-sur-Moselle and Vandières (Meurthe-et-Moselle). An attempt to damage them in Vergigny (Yonne) failed.
“All the evidence we have clearly shows that it is deliberate,” said the Minister of Transport, Patrice Vergriete“The coincidence of times, vans found with people who fled, arsonists who were found on site”, he said.
Guest on BFMTV-RMC, Amélie Oudéa-Castera, Minister of Sports, also spoke about “with caution” and according to initial analyses, “a kind of coordinated sabotage.” The president of the Ile-de-France region, Valérie Pécresse, mentions “a desire for destabilization” and an “coordinated attack” against the SNCF.
The Paris prosecutor’s office takes charge of the investigation
The Paris prosecutor’s office has announced that it is taking charge of the investigation into “all wilful damage caused to SNCF sites”. This investigation is made up of four different heads, including “the ddeterioration of property likely to harm the fundamental interests of the nation”, “the ddamage and attempted damage by dangerous means in an organized gang”, “theattack on an automated data processing system in an organized band”, “theassociation of criminals with a view to committing these crimes and offences”.
Around 800,000 travellers affected
As a result, the circulation of TGVs on the Atlantic, eastern and northern axes East “very disrupted”. “We are diverting some trains to regular lines, but we will have to cancel a large number of them”, said the SNCF.
Jean-Pierre Farandou, chairman of the SNCF group, indicated that “800 000” travelers will be affected over the weekend, as the “situation should last at least the whole weekend while repairs are carried out”, according to the operator’s press release. The Minister of Transport Christophe Fanichet considered that “250,000 people” are affected by these disruptions for the day of Friday.
Many trains delayed or cancelled
Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete spoke of “very serious consequences” on rail traffic with one train in two to the north, the east and Brittany, and one train in four “towards Bordeaux”, on this weekend of summer crossover and the opening of the Olympic Games.
At this stage, towards the west and southwest of France, traffic is “interrupted on the high-speed line between Paris and Tours, and Paris and Le Mans”, because of a “malicious act at the level of Courtalain” (Eure-et-Loir), according to traffic information available on the SNCF website. At Paris-Montparnasse station, “no train” will not leave before 1 p.m.
On the eastern axis, traffic has been interrupted since 5:15 a.m. on the high-speed line, also due to a “malicious act” near Pagny-sur-Moselle (Moselle). “A normal resumption of traffic is expected on July 27,” according to the railways.
Eurostar trains from London are also affected. In addition to the cancelled trains, “all high-speed trains to and from Paris are being diverted via the classic line today,” and will therefore travel at a reduced speed, Eurostar specifies on its website, whichui “extends the journey time by about an hour and a half.” The connection between Paris and Brussels is also affected by the disruption, Eurostar said.
The South-East TGV line, on the other hand, is not “not touched”specified the SNCF group, while a “malicious act was foiled”.
SNCF teams mobilized
SNCF Réseau teams”are already on site to carry out the diagnosis and begin the repairs”the operator said in its press release.
“Through the SNCF, [ce sont] the French who are being attacked”, Jean-Pierre Farrandou reacted during a press briefing, who pointed out that “dThousands of railway workers will mobilize to repair“.
Guest of franceinfo, the police prefect Laurent Nuñez, also announced the concentration “its workforce in Parisian stations”, after the attack on the train network“We are strengthening the security system, that’s what we did this morning,” he continued.
Impact on the Olympic Games
“All customers will be informed by SMS of the movement of their trains,” the group stressed to AFP. The operator advises “all travelers to postpone their trip and not to go to the station”, specifying in its press release that all tickets are exchangeable and refundable.
The attack comes just hours before the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, when many travelers are planning to converge on the capital. A large number of vacationers are also in transit.