Prosecutors have initiated a criminal investigation following deliberate attacks on France’s high-speed railway network. These “malicious acts” caused major disruptions to the country’s busiest rail lines just hours before the Olympic opening ceremony.
SNCF, the state-owned railway operator, reported that arsonists targeted installations along the TGV high-speed lines connecting Paris with the west, north, and east of the country. This attack is expected to severely disrupt rail traffic nationwide over the weekend.
SNCF described the incident as a “massive attack on a large scale to paralyze the TGV network,” resulting in numerous service cancellations. French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin stated that security forces were “hoping to swiftly make arrests” and confirmed that there was no known threat to the ceremony itself.
Paris public prosecutor Laure Beccuau announced a formal investigation into “deliberate damage of property likely to harm the fundamental interests of the nation” and criminal association.
While there was no immediate claim of responsibility, security sources suggested that the arson method used bore similarities to previous actions by extreme-left groups, although there was no evidence directly linking them to Friday’s attacks. In September, a similar method was used in attacks that disrupted travel in northern Germany, which was claimed by an extreme-left website. Security expert Jérôme Poirot speculated on RMC radio that the attacks might have been orchestrated by Russia.
SNCF reported that “several simultaneous malicious acts” occurred overnight, with crucial fiber-optic cables running alongside the tracks being cut and burned. The operator urged passengers to postpone their journeys if possible. Services resumed by mid-afternoon, but significant delays continued on all affected lines. The route to the southwest was particularly impacted, operating only one TGV in three.
SNCF’s chief executive, Jean-Pierre Farandou, explained that the attackers set fires in conduits carrying cables that transmit safety information for drivers or control points mechanisms. Repairing the damage is a manual operation requiring hundreds of workers to address a large number of bundled cables.
Farandou revealed that five of the TGV network’s “strategic nerve centers” were targeted on main high-speed lines linking Paris to major cities such as Lille, Bordeaux, Strasbourg, and Marseille. The attacks occurred between 1 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. on Friday. French media reported that four attacks were successful, while a night railway maintenance team thwarted a fifth attempt on the southeastern line.
