What we know about the Eurostar disruption ahead of the Paris Olympics

Eurostar has canceled one in four trains after “coordinated” vandalism disrupted France’s high-speed rail network ahead of the Paris Olympics.

The rail operator, which operates international services from London St Pancras, confirmed on Friday that several trains to Paris had been canceled and others diverted or subject to delays due to the ongoing problems across the Channel.

Eurostar customers have been told to cancel their journeys where possible.

The disruption comes hours before the opening of the 2024 Paris Olympics and as millions embark on summer getaways.

French rail company SNCF said several high-speed TGV lines were hit by “acts of vandalism”, leaving trains canceled and queues forming.

It warned the situation – which emerged ahead of Friday night’s Olympic opening ceremony – could last “at least all weekend”, causing potential chaos for the games.

Writing in X, French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said the consequences of the “acts of sabotage” were “massive and serious”.

What we know

SNCF said a number of incidents overnight affected journeys to and from London under the Channel, in Belgium and in western, northern and eastern France.

French Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete told broadcasters that incendiary devices had been found and people had fled the fires.

In total, three fires were reported near the lines of the French high-speed lines Atlantique, Nord and Est by local media.

SNCF said in a statement: “Last night, SNCF was the victim of several acts of vandalism on the Atlantic, North and East high-speed lines. The fires were deliberately set to damage our facilities.”

The SNCF told AFP: “This is a massive, large-scale attack to paralyze the TGV network.”

It said several routes were disrupted, including the line between Lille and Paris, the Atlantic line and the route between Paris and eastern France, with reports suggesting the problems were the result of arson attacks on the lines.

It has been suggested that the arson attacks were “coordinated” and aimed at sabotaging the rail network.

Jean-Pierre Farandou, CEO of SNCF, said thousands of staff were being mobilized to help passengers and repair the network, but problems were expected to persist until Sunday.

“I am thinking of all the French people who will not be able to go on holiday today or those who will go in worse conditions,” he told French broadcaster BFM TV.

“It’s definitely going to take all weekend because it’s going to take a long time to sort out … today is a sad day.”

Transport Minister Vergriete wrote on X: “I strongly condemn these criminal actions that will compromise the holidays of many French people. A big thank you to the #SNCF teams, on the bridge to restore traffic conditions as quickly as possible.”

French Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera told Sky News: “We are still in the process of analyzing all the impacts, accessing what we will implement as solutions because it will also have an impact on the weekend.”

The prime minister’s spokeswoman Sir Keir Starmer called the situation “worrying” and said the prime minister was urging people to follow travel advice. A Downing Street spokeswoman said the prime minister was due to travel by Eurostar to Paris before the Olympics opening ceremony but flew to France instead because of the disruption and delays.

How about Eurostar?

The situation has also affected Eurostar, leading to the cancellation of one train out of four from Friday to Sunday and extended journey times, the company said.

Eurostar customers have been told to cancel their journeys where possible.

The 15.31 and 19.01 services from London St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord have been cancelled, according to its website. The 12.12pm Eurostar train from Paris to London has also been cancelled.

All high-speed trains going to and from Paris were diverted via the classic line, extending the journey by about an hour and a half. Several Eurostar trains have been cancelled.

Eurostar said customers are being informed via email, SMS and the Eurostar website. Customers can cancel or get a refund or change their trip for free, it said.

Most Team GB athletes were arriving at the Games via Eurostar. However, the British Olympic Association confirmed that only two athletes were scheduled to arrive on Friday and only experienced minor delays.

What we don’t know

No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks, and French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said it was too early to speculate who might be behind them. Two security sources told Reuters that the manner of the attack meant that initial suspicions fell on left-wing militants or environmental activists, but cautioned that they still had no evidence.

The Paris prosecutor’s office said an investigation would be overseen by its organized crime office, the anti-terrorism subdirectorate (SDAT), a branch of the judicial police that routinely monitors far-left, far-right and radical environmental groups, coordinating investigations.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in June that the alliance had seen several examples of “sabotage, attempted arson” by Russia, but there was no indication that Moscow could have been behind Friday’s attacks in France .

Paris prosecutors have launched a criminal investigation, warning that those found guilty could face lengthy prison terms and significant fines.

It is also not known how long it will take to repair the damage caused by the fires and how long the disruption to France’s rail network could last.

We do not know how many people will be affected by these problems, but the president of the SNCF group told French media BFMTV on Friday that 800,000 customers have been affected so far.

Read more

• What are your rights if you can’t travel to the Paris Olympics. “It may mean that those booked to attend the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics on Friday or events over the weekend cannot travel.” (Sky News)

• Dover gridlock as Olympics and summer break wreak havoc on travel. “Long queues of tourists formed at the port of Dover in Kent on Friday as the busy summer travel season began.“ (Independent)

• Travel disruption to the Olympics: how else can I get to Paris? “Four alternative ways for stranded passengers to reach Paris.” (BYE)

• How Macron’s ‘crazy’ Olympics ceremony along the Seine came about. “France has deployed its biggest security operation to protect the Games and the successful opening ceremony.” (Reuters)

• Closed Paris nervously awaits the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. “The center of Paris will be cordoned off by 45,000 police and gendarmes, 10,000 soldiers and around 22,000 private security guards.“ (AFP)