French Interior Minister said on Saturday that there may have been foreign forces involved in the attack on the signal stations and cables of the French high-speed rail network, leading to major disruptions in traffic on the day of the opening of the Paris Olympics.
Before dawn on Friday, just before the 2024 Paris Olympics were set to commence, the railway infrastructure connecting Paris with cities in the north such as Lille, west like Bordeaux, and east such as Strasbourg was targeted and damaged. The French National Railway Company (SNCF) reported that another attack on the Paris-Marseille line was successfully prevented.
Following the attacks, no one has claimed responsibility for the incidents so far, according to Reuters.
“Who should be held accountable for this?” Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told France 2 television. “It’s either an internal job or under foreign orders. Drawing conclusions at this point is premature.”
Darmanin added, “We have found some clues that lead us to believe we will soon identify who is responsible.”
SNCF stated on Friday that the French high-speed train (TGV) network has become a target of “malicious acts,” including arson attacks that destroyed the signaling boxes at railway junctions in the north, southwest, and east of Paris.
An insider told AFP that these attacks may have been coordinated acts of “sabotage.” SNCF told AFP, “This was a large-scale attack aimed at crippling the French high-speed rail network.” Many lines had to be shut down.
French Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete and SNCF head Jean-Pierre Farandou told reporters on Saturday that normal traffic on the French high-speed rail network should resume by Monday.
Additionally, SNCF confirmed that transportation for all teams participating in the 2024 Paris Olympics will be ensured.
Vergriete noted that after Friday’s attacks, 100,000 people were unable to take trains, with another 150,000 facing delays but eventually reached their destinations.
“There may be some hiccups tomorrow,” Vergriete said, “but by Monday, everyone should be able to travel with peace of mind.”