France travel distribution : : The French rail operator SNCF has issued a warning, stating that hundreds of thousands of passengers may be impacted by the interruption caused by Friday’s sabotage of the nation’s train network until the end of the weekend.
Hours before the Paris Olympics opened, travelers were disrupted on Friday by coordinated arson assaults on three lines of the high-speed TGV network. Rail workers prevented a fourth attack.
“Acts of sabotage” was how Prime Minister Gabriel Attal characterized the attacks.
Additionally, almost 25% of the international Eurostar trains were canceled, affecting people like UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
In a statement issued on Friday evening, SNCF said traffic “would improve” on affected lines on Saturday thanks to the work of thousands of rail workers.
It said:
- On the eastern line, trains would run normally from 06:00 (05:00 BST) on Saturday
- On the northern line, 80% of trains would be running, with delays of 1-2 hours
- On the south-western line, 60% of trains would be running, with delays of 1-2 hours
France travel distribution : French railway competition Customers whose trains are canceled or delayed will get emails or texts from the firm, the statement continued.
Customers whose trains are canceled or delayed will get emails or texts from the firm, the statement continued.
About 25% of services are scheduled to be cancelled over the weekend, according to Eurostar, and all trains are expected to experience delays of approximately 1.5 hours. The northern high-speed route is used by Eurostar services.
Using 1,000 people and 50 drones, SNCF announced that train network surveillance has been improved “on land and in the air.”
About 250,000 people were impacted on Friday, according to Junior Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete, and by Monday, up to 800,000 people would experience delays and cancellations.
He continued by saying that it was more likely that the saboteurs wanted to interfere with holiday travel than the opening ceremony of the Olympics on Friday.
“There is not necessarily a link” with olympics the he said in an interview.
he said in an interview.
Traditionally, the final weekend of July is a busy time for vacation travel.
To yet, no group has acknowledged that it was responsible for the attacks. The AFP news agency was informed by an investigative source that the operation was “well-prepared” and coordinated by “a single structure”.
According to Mr. Attal, security personnel were looking for the perpetrators.
Government officials reported that at approximately 4:00 on Friday, saboteurs severed and burned specialized fiber optic cables that are necessary for the secure operation of the rail system.
One location was 150 kilometers (93 miles) southwest of Paris at Courtalain. An image that appeared on the internet allegedly showed burned-out cables in a little ravine with their protective SNCF paving stones missing.
The SNCF reported of a “massive, large-scale attack aimed at paralysing” its services, not only at Courtalain but also at Pagny-sur-Moselle, a village outside the cities of Metz in the east and Croisilles, which is located not far from Arras in the north.
In the wee hours of Friday, SNCF employees performing maintenance in Vergigny, southeast of Paris, stopped another intended attack.
Attacks on “the fundamental interests of the nation” are the subject of a probe launched by the prosecution.
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