SNCF says it has been the victim of “concurrent malicious acts” that have paralyzed several TGV lines to and from Paris. The disruptions could last all weekend.
SNCF was the victim of “several simultaneous malicious acts affecting the TGV Atlantique, Nord and Est lines” during the night from Thursday to Friday. “Deliberate fires were started to damage our facilities” explains the railway company in a press release which assures that teams “are already on site to carry out the diagnosis and begin repairs”. But SNCF also warns that the disruptions, numerous on the morning of Friday July 26, should “last at least the entire weekend”, the time to carry out the necessary repairs.
These disturbances hit the SNCF traffic while there are many travelers in the stations on this holiday weekend and the Paris 2024 Olympics are bringing a lot of people to the station to go to the ceremony or to leave the capital. “We are diverting some trains on the classic line but we will have to cancel a large number of them. Our priority is customer care,” adds the SNCF.
“I strongly condemn these criminal actions which will compromise the departures on holiday of many French people” reacted the Minister of Transport, Patrice Vergriete on X after the announcement of the SNCF on the “massive attack” targeting it. The minister confirmed that the acts of vandalism “will seriously disrupt traffic until this weekend”. “A big thank you to the SNCF teams, on the bridge to restore traffic conditions as quickly as possible” he added.
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09:42 – What are the malicious acts that have targeted SNCF TGV lines?
The malicious acts suffered by the SNCF consist of cables being cut and others being set on fire on several TGV lines, other acts of sabotage have also been recorded according to information from BFMTVThese attacks occurred near Arras on the LGV Nord, near Courtalain on the LGV Atlantique and at two locations on the LGV Est: between the Meuse TGV station and the commune of Lamorville and between Pagny-sur-Moselle (54) and the commune of Lamorville.
09:36 – Disruptions on TVG lines in the Grand Ouest
Concerning the western routes, traffic is interrupted on the TGV lines between Paris and Tours and Paris and Le Mans. It is also seriously disrupted on other lines such as those connecting Paris to Bordeaux or Paris to Rennes. “Expect significant delays and route changes are to be expected for your TGV INOUI, INTERCITÉS, OUIGO” warns the SNCF.
09:28 – Disruptions on TGV lines in the East
“Traffic is very disrupted” on the TGV lines in the East of France. Only trains to Reims and Châlons en Champagne are not affected according to the SNCF’s details. Here again “significant delays are to be expected for your TGV INOUI and OUIGO”, or even cancellations. “Significant works are to be expected and a normal resumption of traffic is estimated for July 27” estimates the railway company while for other lines the restoration of traffic will not be possible before next week.
09:25 – Disruptions on TVG lines to the North
Traffic has been interrupted on the TGV line linking Paris and Lille due to a malicious act on the installations, writes the SNCF. “Traffic is disrupted on this line” and “significant delays and route changes are to be expected for your TGV INOUI and OUIGO” it also warns.
09:20 – The security system noted by the police headquarters
The Paris police prefect, Laurent Nuñez, assured on franceinfo that the police prefecture “is concentrating its personnel in Parisian train stations” after the “massive attack” that paralyzed the TGV network. “We are reinforcing the security system, that’s what we have just done this morning,” he specified.
09:14 – Amélie Oudéa-Castera “firmly condemns” the massive attack against the SNCF
Malicious acts on the SNCF TGV network and the disruptions they cause”[vont] disrupt this day and probably also this weekend” believes the Minister of Sports, Amélie Oudéa-Castera, who “condemns in the strongest terms” these actions on BFMTV. The Minister of Sports raises the complications that this could have on the athletes’ travel on the day of the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games: “We will assess the impacts today for travelers and athletes, but also the impacts for this weekend which concern the smooth transport of all delegations to the competition sites.”. “Playing against the Games is playing against France, against your camp, against your country” he added angrily.
09:06 – Arson and sabotage according to SNCF
The SNCF is referring to “concomitant malicious acts” which resulted in fires deliberately started on railway installations. According to a police source from Parisian At least five acts of sabotage were recorded, all in different departments: Eure-et-Loir, Yonne, Meurthe-et-Moselle, Meuse and Pas-de-Calais.
09:03 – Disruptions “at least all weekend”
“This situation should last at least all weekend while repairs are carried out,” said the SNCF, while disruptions are very significant at the station this morning and on many TGV lines.
08:58 – Three axes seriously disrupted on the TGV lines
“Deliberate fires were started to damage our facilities. […] “TGV traffic on the Atlantic, North and East routes is very disrupted,” explains the SNCF in its press release. Traffic between Paris and many cities such as Toulouse, Bordeaux, La Rochelle, Nantes, Rennes and Tours is affected by the disruptions. “We are diverting some trains on the classic line but we will have to cancel a large number of them,” warns the railway company. By “classic line”, it means TER or Intercités lines, among others, which are slower than the TGV lines but which are operating.