France’s high-speed rail to be restored after arson attacks before 2024 Paris Olympics
France’s high-speed train network will be up and running as usual by Monday morning after the country’s key transportation unit was targeted by a shocking spate of arson ahead of the opening of the 2024 Paris Olympics on Friday.
The French national rail company SNCF cautioned that trains that do run on Saturday will be delayed by up to two hours on the lines going in and out of the capital city, the BBC reported.
About a quarter of Eurostar trips will also be axed, the outlet added. All trains should be back on schedule by Monday morning, according to France’s Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete.
The high-speed train service came to a screeching halt early Friday when fires were set on cables linked to four of the major lines.
The attacks — which are still under investigation — impacted about 250,000 passengers, with up to 800,000 people expected to be affected throughout the weekend.
Among the throng whose plans were derailed was British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who planned to travel to the opening ceremonies in Paris via train but was forced to fly at the last minute, the BBC reported.
“I’m not going to pretend it wasn’t frustrating because it was, and for very many people it made travel so much harder,” he told the outlet.
SNCF staff “worked all night under difficult conditions in the rain” to start repairing the damage, the agency said.
“At this stage, traffic will remain disrupted on Sunday on the North axis and should improve on the Atlantic axis for weekend returns,” the rail network said Saturday morning.
While no suspects have been identified — nor has anyone claimed responsibility — security sources suggested the debilitating sabatoge was done by leftist militants or radical eco-warriors.
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