Sabotage in France

Half of the trains canceled: Athletes are stuck

Almost 800,000 people were mainly kept busy waiting on Friday.

(Bild: AFP/Christophe ARCHAMBAULT)

On the day of the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris, suspected arson attacks on technical equipment have paralyzed large parts of French rail traffic. In addition to normal passengers, athletes are now also stuck - the search is still on for those responsible.

Secret services and security forces have been mobilized "to find and punish the perpetrators of these criminal acts", said Prime Minister Gabriel Attal on Friday. According to the French railroad SNCF, around 800,000 passengers were affected by the arson attacks.

"This operation was prepared and coordinated, neuralgic points were targeted," Attal said. He called for caution when speculating about the profile of the perpetrators. Initially, no one claimed responsibility for the actions.

Athletes' trains also affected
But many athletes have also been affected by the bumpy start to the major event. "On the Atlantic coast, we run 250 trains a day. We had four trains with athletes, two of which were able to run," said a railroad spokesperson. So half of them never arrived at their destination. 

Many people can't get off the train:

Attal spoke of "coordinated acts of sabotage". The impact on the rail network on the day of the opening of the Olympic Games was massive and serious, he wrote on X. He was thinking of all the French people who were preparing for their vacations: "I share their anger and welcome the patience, understanding and public spirit they are showing."

Railroad boss suspects "gang of nutters"
SNCF boss Jean-Pierre Farandou spoke of a "sad day". "It's an attack on vacation travel, on the French," he said, referring to the weekend, three weeks after the start of the summer vacations, when heavy vacation traffic was expected. A "gang of nutters" had prevented this, he explained.

Thousands of railroad workers were working on a solution.

(Bild: AFP/Denis CHARLET)

There had already been similar acts of sabotage in the past. In January 2023, during the protests against the pension reform, unknown persons had damaged 600 cables with fire, which led to numerous train cancellations.

Heavy rain forecast for opening ceremony
The opening ceremony of the Olympic Games is taking place in Paris this evening, with 326,000 spectators expected, including around one hundred heads of state and government. Many spectators and athletes who were planning to arrive by train on Friday are also likely to be affected by the cancellation.

The logistical chaos is now compounded by a heavy rain forecast. According to meteorologist Patrick Marliere on RMC radio, around 25 to 30 mm of rain is expected between 6 p.m. and midnight, which would correspond to 15 days of rain. He added: "It will be a disaster in those few hours." A perfect start looks different.