Severe travel disruption across France and England after 'malicious acts' on lines ahead of Olympics

French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal says France's intelligence services have been mobilised to find the perpetrators, as ITV News' correspondent Geraint Vincent explains.

Travellers in France and England are facing severe disruption to train services after French national high-speed lines were hit by several “malicious acts” on Friday, just hours before the Olympics opening ceremony.

Trains, including Eurostar, were hit by what France's national rail company SNCF called a series of co-ordinated arson attacks, although there was no immediate evidence of a link to the Games.

SNCF added that disruptions - which it estimates could impact around 800,000 travellers over the weekend - as work crews oversee repairs.

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was among those with disrupted travel plans.

According to a Downing Street spokeswoman, Sir Keir was originally booked on the Eurostar to Paris ahead of the Olympics opening ceremony, but flew to France instead due to the the disruption and delays.

Speaking on BFM television, transport minster Patrice 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.

Hours away from the grand opening ceremony of the Olympics, high-speed rail traffic to the French capital was severely disrupted. Credit: AP
Travelers check trains on an electronic board at the Gare de Montparnasse, at the 2024 Summer Olympics. Credit: AP

French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal wrote on X that France's intelligence services have been mobilised to find the perpetrators.

Attal characterised them as "acts of sabotage," which were "prepared and coordinated".

There were no known reports of injuries.

The Paris prosecutor’s office opened an investigation into arson attacks, with the crimes carrying a potential 15-year sentence and fines of €225,000.

The reports come just hours before the Olympic torch relay concludes and the Opening Ceremony begins, with more than 320,000 spectators expected to attend along the River Seine.

In a post on X, SNCF said "a large number of trains were diverted or cancelled," and asked "all travellers who can to postpone their trip and not go to the station".

Passengers queue at the Eurostar terminal at St Pancras station in central London. Credit: PA

Eurostar warns customers to cancel trips

Several Eurostar trains to Paris have been cancelled across the weekend, as a result of the incident in France.

The rail operator, which runs international services from London St Pancras, confirmed on Friday its trains would be delayed because of the ongoing issues across the Channel

It has asked customers to cancel their trips on Friday if they can, amid ongoing disruption to its services.

In an update to the earlier statement, Eurostar said: "We encourage our customers to postpone their trip if possible."

The situation is expected to last until Monday morning according to the company, with Eurostar making the decision to cancel one in four trains to manage the disruption.

The company said customers were being informed via email, text and on the Eurostar website.

Any affected passengers can cancel or refund their tickets or modify their journey free of charge.

Two GB athletes caught in delays

Two German show jumpers were held up in Belgium due to the disruption and will now miss the ceremony, German news agency dpa reported.

The majority of Team GB athletes are arriving at the Games via Eurostar. However, the British Olympic Association (BOA) confirmed that only two athletes were scheduled to arrive on Friday, and had been subject to only minor delays.

Security threats

French authorities have been on high alert regarding potential threats to the Olympics.

On Sunday, a Russian man, Kirill Gryaznov, was arrested at his flat in Paris accused of being a spy who was part of a plot to disrupt the Games.

Russia is officially barred from Paris 2024 due to its war in Ukraine, although just over a dozen athletes from the country are being allowed to compete as neutrals.

Traffic at the Port of Dover on Friday amid ongoing travel disruption. Credit: PA

Heavy traffic at Dover

The disruption in France has coincided with the first weekend of the summer holidays for many in England, resulting in heavy traffic at the Port of Dover, in Kent.

Drivers are being warned to expect a "weekend of woe" on the roads as millions of families embark on getaway journeys.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...