Paris 2024 Olympics: massive attack on the railway network in France. The TGV network is paralysed. Secret services activated.

On the eve of the Games Paris Olympics 2024, the France has been rocked by a massive attack on its TGV high-speed rail network. During the night, fires and acts of vandalism paralysed rail traffic, blocking at least 800 thousand passengers and causing serious inconveniences that will continue throughout the weekend. This sabotage hit one of the country's main infrastructures hard, at a crucial moment for France's international visibility.

The Paris prosecutor's office has opened an investigation into the serious arson acts that hit the railway network, entrusting it to the national jurisdiction for the fight against organized crime. The competent authorities have specified that this type of crime, which involves the deterioration of property and threatens the fundamental interests of the nation, can be punished with a prison sentence of up to 15 years and a fine of 225.000 euros. If sabotage is committed in an organized context and with dangerous means, the penalty can increase to 20 years in prison and a fine of 150.000 euros.

Preliminary investigations have revealed that the fires were set at strategic points on the railway network, suggesting a deep understanding of infrastructure. According to security sources, the operating methods recall those used in the past by ultra-left groups and ecological protesters, hypothesizing possible internal complicities within SNCF, the French national railway company.

One of the incidents of sabotage was foiled in Yonne, where railway workers on maintenance duty spotted and chased away individuals intent on setting fires in gutters containing fiber optic cables. These cables are crucial for transmitting safety information to drivers and for controlling switch motors. Repairing this damage will require significant manual effort, with hundreds of officers mobilized.

In the meantime, Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg Airport, located in Alsace, was evacuated and closed for security reasons due to a bomb threat received via email. This accident further complicated the already critical transport situation in France.

The consequences of the attack were devastating.

There was no traffic from Paris' Montparnasse station, which serves western and southwestern France, until 13pm, while many Eurostar trains between Paris and London were cancelled. The SNCF has warned passengers not to show up at the station without receiving confirmation via SMS or email about the departure of their trains, highlighting that the chaos is affecting around 00 thousand people today alone and will reach 250 thousand passengers by the end of the weekend.

French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal expressed his regret for these acts of sabotage, describing them as "prepared and coordinated" and underlining the serious and massive consequences on the railway network. The Minister of Sport and the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, also strongly condemned the acts of sabotage, declaring that "playing against the Games is playing against France". You also assured that, despite the inconveniences, the regular transport of the Olympic delegations to the competition venues will be guaranteed.

Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete called the attack "scandalous" and highlighted the very serious consequences on rail traffic. It reported that one in two trains heading to the North, East and Brittany, and one in four trains to Bordeaux, were affected during a crucial weekend for summer tourism and the opening of the Olympic Games.

In such a critical context, the French government has mobilized all secret services to respond to the crisis and prevent further acts of sabotage. Images of passengers stranded in Paris stations, desperate and confused, quickly went around the world, highlighting the scale of the attack and the vulnerability of infrastructure at a time of maximum international exposure.

This attack has raised serious concerns about the security of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The French authorities are now committed not only to restoring normality in transport, but also to ensuring that the safety of athletes and visitors is a priority. The situation requires a rapid and effective response to mitigate the damage and restore confidence in France's organizational capabilities ahead of one of the world's most important sporting events.