Paris train stations, SNCF vandalism, Paris 2024 Olympics, travel disruption, police deployment, overnight attacks, Eurostar services, high-speed rail disruption, French railway damage, sports events impact

The chief of police in Paris has announced that additional force will be deployed to enhance security at Paris train stations following a series of overnight attacks on SNCF railway lines.

On Friday, more police units were assigned to Paris stations due to the large crowds affected by significant disruptions, according to Laurent Nunez, who spoke to broadcaster France Info.

Earlier, the French railway company SNCF reported that its rail lines were vandalized overnight just before the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics. The SNCF stated on X that it had been targeted by several simultaneous malicious acts on the LGV Atlantique, North, and East lines.

"Deliberate fires were set to damage our facilities," the company added.

Although the high-speed LGV Southeast line was not affected and an incident was prevented, the SNCF noted that its repair teams were on site to begin necessary repairs. The company also mentioned that high-speed traffic is significantly disrupted on some routes and urged passengers to postpone their travels.

Eurostar services were also impacted, as reported by French broadcaster BFMTV, which noted that a quarter of all services on its network were canceled, and passengers were advised to delay their journeys if possible on Friday.

BFMTV further explained that rail location cabinets were damaged, and cables were set on fire and cut on some northern and eastern lines. Approximately 800,000 passengers were affected, with one of the major Paris stations, Montparnasse, expected to remain closed until at least 1 p.m. (1100 GMT), according to local media.

Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera, in an interview with BFMTV, stated that traffic disruptions are expected to continue through the weekend. She suggested that the incidents appear to be the result of coordinated sabotage but emphasized that further analysis is required before drawing definitive conclusions.

Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete condemned the "coordinated malicious acts" that are disrupting the holiday travel plans of many French citizens.

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games are set to officially begin with Friday's opening ceremony on the River Seine, although football, archery, and rugby events had already started earlier in the week.