French high-speed rail network targeted by sabotage ahead of Paris 2024 Olympics opening

CAIRO – 26 July 2024: As the world awaits the grand spectacle of the Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony, reports emerged of a disruptive act of sabotage on the French high-speed rail network, officials disclosed.

An official from the French railway operator SNCF said on Friday that a coordinated sabotage effort on the tracks resulted in the halting of two out of four trains transporting Olympic athletes to Paris via the western Atlantique line, the Associated Press (AP) reported.

Franck Dubourdieu, head of the Atlantique line, could not determine which athletes were obstructed from traveling through the railway network.

He noted that while rail operations were improving, his line had been severely impacted by the actions of the vandals.

Despite the disruption, Dubourdieu reassured that the overall impact on the opening ceremony was minimal.

The attackers targeted multiple locations, including incidents west of Paris and at Arrou in Eure-et-Loir along the Atlantique line leading to Paris.