Passengers have been advised not to travel on the Eurostar following a spate of arson attacks on France's high-speed rail network.
Ahead of the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics taking place today (Friday, July 26) high-speed rail services in the French capital have been disrupted.
Three fires have been reported near the tracks on the high-speed lines of Atlantique, Nord and Est.
The disruption has particularly affected Paris’s major Montparnasse station with videos posted on social networks showing the hall of the station filled with passengers.
Due to acts of vandalism affecting the high-speed line between Paris and Lille, all high-speed trains to and from Paris are being diverted via the classic line. Some trains have been cancelled, others are delayed. To see if your train is affected followhttps://t.co/rg0hFG14Wi
— Eurostar (@Eurostar) July 26, 2024
Alongside that, acts of vandalism have affected overhead power supplies which has caused further problems.
Eurostar passengers have been told to “postpone” their trips, with trains diverted and 90-minute delays expected, The Telegraph reports.
A statement on Eurostar’s website said: “Due to a problem with the overhead power supply in France today, we advise you to postpone your trip as your train is likely to be delayed due to infrastructure issues.”
Where are Eurostar trains being redirected to?
Eurostar trains are being re-routed via Lille, 150 miles north-east of Paris on the Belgian border, and then being transferred to local lines.
These have significantly lower speed limits than the 186mph allowed on the high-speed TGV lines in northern France.
A Eurostar spokesman said: “Due to coordinated acts of malice in France, affecting the high-speed line between Paris and Lille, all high-speed trains going to and coming from Paris are being diverted via the classic line today Friday, July 26.
“This extends the journey time by around an hour-and-a-half. Several trains have been cancelled.”
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The attacks on France’s rail network are believed to have been orchestrated to trigger mass disruption on the eve of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony.
The “coordinated” sabotage follows warnings that foreign countries, notably Russia, whose athletes have been barred from the opening ceremony, will seek to disrupt the Games.
Patrice Vergriete, the French minister of transport, said: “All the evidence we have clearly shows that this was deliberate.”
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