PARIS - Train services in France, including the international Eurostar service, were disrupted on Friday, hit by what authorities called a coordinated sabotage effort just hours ahead of the inauguration ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
"Coordinated malicious acts targeted several TGV lines last night and will seriously disrupt traffic until this weekend," French Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete wrote in a post on the X social network, formerly Twitter.
The disruptions come amid heightened security across Paris as French authorities deploy tens of thousands of police to secure the event. In preparation, large sections of the city have been cordoned off, with Olympic sites, train stations, tourist landmarks guarded by gun-toting officers, including counterterrorism units and the military.
France's public train operator SNCF said that following the "malicious acts" no service was running on the fast train line between Paris and the Western city of Tours and delays were to be expected on the Northern service to Lille. Fires broke out at several sites, the national rail company said.
Eurostar said its services between Paris and London have been affected. Several trains have been cancelled.
