France’s high-speed rail network has been severely affected after it was targeted by several arson attacks hours before the opening ceremony for the Olympic Games in Paris, rail operator SNCF said on Friday.
“SNCF was the victim of several simultaneous acts of malicious damage affecting the Atlantic, Northern and Eastern high-speed lines,” the firm said.
The route to the Stade de France, one of the venues for the Olympic Games, is also currently closed.
Repairs are under way, SNCF said. However, it added that the restrictions could last the whole weekend.
The Olympics in Paris officially begins with a unique show in the middle of the Seine on Friday evening. For the first time in Summer Games history, the opening ceremony won’t be held in a stadium.
Instead, the more than 200 national delegations will sail across the Seine through the centre of Paris and past sights such as Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay.
