French rail lines sabotaged hours before Games opening ceremony

French officials inspect the scene of a suspected attack on the railway network; (inset) Trains parked at platforms at a Paris station. Pics/AFP

Hours away from the grand opening ceremony of the Olympics, high-speed rail traffic to the French capital was severely disrupted on Friday by what officials described as "criminal actions" and sabotage.

The incidents paralysed several high-speed lines linking Paris to the rest of France and to neighbouring countries, according to Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete.
Speaking on BFM television, Vergriete described people fleeing from the scene of fires and the discovery of incendiary devices at the site. "Everything indicates that these are criminal fires," he said.

As Paris authorities geared up for a parade along the Seine River amid tightened security, three fires were reported near the tracks on the high-speed lines of Atlantique, Nord and Est. The disruptions particularly affected Paris's major Montparnasse station. Videos posted on social networks showed the hall of the station saturated with travellers.

The Paris police prefecture "concentrated its personnel in Parisian train stations" after the "massive attack" that paralysed the TGV high-speed network, Laurent Nuñez, the Paris police chief, told France Info television.

Travel to and from London beneath the English Channel, to neighbouring Belgium, and across the west, north, and east of France was affected.

Government officials denounced the acts, though they said there was no immediate sign of a direct link to the Olympics. National police said authorities were investigating the incidents. French media reported a major fire on a busy western route.

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