Several acts of vandalism have severely disrupted train traffic this Friday, July 26th. The timing is significant: it coincides with a major holiday departure day and the opening date of the Paris Olympic Games. In the night of July 25th to 26th, around 4 a.m., fires targeted several key points of the high-speed rail network: in Courtalain (Eure-et-Loir), at the junction between the TGV lines heading towards Brittany and the Southwest; in Croisilles (Pas-de-Calais), near the junction between the lines going to Lille and Arras; and in Pagny-sur-Moselle (Moselle), near the split between the lines towards Metz and Nancy. A fourth attempted fire was thwarted in Vergigny (Yonne), before the split of a line towards Dijon. A van and incendiary devices were found at the scene, while the presumed perpetrators fled. The Paris prosecutor’s office (through the national jurisdiction for combating organized crime) has taken over the investigation, focusing on charges of “damage to property affecting the fundamental interests of the nation” and “attacks on an automated data processing system.”
Severely Disrupted Traffic All Weekend
The high-speed SNCF TGV Atlantique, TGV Est, and TGV Nord lines towards Lille are nearly paralyzed. The company said that they are rerouting some trains on regular lines, but will have to cancel a large number. This situation is expected to last at least through the weekend until repairs are completed. SNCF anticipates a return to normalcy on Monday, July 29th, for the Paris-Lille line and the Atlantique TGVs. According to Jean-Pierre Farandou, CEO of SNCF, 800,000 customers are affected by these acts of sabotage. SNCF Réseau teams are already on-site to conduct diagnostics and begin repairs.
Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete condemned “coordinated acts of vandalism” on social media platform X. “I strongly condemn these criminal actions that will disrupt the holiday departures of many French people,” he wrote. “Everything points to criminal arson, especially the simultaneous timing, which is more than suspicious,” he added during a press conference. SNCF described it as a “massive attack.” ” The major departures are targeted through SNCF, attacking a part of France and attacking the French people,” lamented Jean-Pierre Farandou, president of SNCF, who expressed his sadness. “Our job is public service, transporting people when they need it, and today we can’t do that because of a group of irresponsible individuals who thought it was smarter to prevent us from doing our job.” Hundreds of railway workers will be mobilized to carry out the lengthy repair operations. “These criminal acts involve cutting and burning cables in conduits. Each cable, containing multiple wires, needs to be reconnected and tested for safety before resuming operations,” explained Matthieu Chabanel, CEO of SNCF Réseau. “This delicate task will be carried out continuously until services are restored, hopefully by Monday.”
Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games
Just hours before the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games this Friday at 7:30 PM, the SNCF announced it was the victim of a “massive attack” aimed at paralyzing its TGV network. Several acts of vandalism have been recorded in the Arras, Pagny-sur-Moselle, and Courtalain areas. As a result, the Atlantic, North, and East lines are “severely disrupted.” However, the Southeast TGV line is unaffected. These acts of vandalism come as many travelers were expected in the capital this Friday for the official launch of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Travelers are encouraged, as much as possible, to postpone their trips and avoid going to the station.
Disruptions in Public Transport and City Bridges
The world will have its eyes on the Seine, where the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games will take place. Around 10,500 athletes from 206 delegations will parade along the river on a 6-kilometer route, from the Pont d’Austerlitz to the Trocadéro. However, due to measures taken to secure the event, several disruptions are expected, both in public transport and on the city’s bridges.
Since the deployment of the security perimeter on July 18th, several metro stations have been closed. They will remain closed all day on July 26th: Champs-Elysées-Clemenceau (lines 1 and 13), Concorde (1, 8, and 12), Tuileries (1), Cité (4), Quai-de-la-Rapée (5), line 6 between Charles-de-Gaulle-Etoile and Dupleix, Pont-Neuf (7), Châtelet (7 and 11 only), Pont-Marie (7), and Alma-Marceau (9). The RER C is also affected, with the stations Champs-de-Mars-Tour-Eiffel, Pont-de-l’Alma, and Musée-d’Orsay. Starting at 1 PM on Friday, a new wave of stations will remain closed until the end of service. These include: Hôtel-de-Ville and Saint-Paul (line 1), Assemblée-nationale (12), Invalides (8, 13, and RER C), Rambuteau and Hôtel-de-Ville (11); as well as the Baron-Le-Roy station (tramway T3a), which will reopen at 10 PM.
Between 6 PM and 9:30 PM, line 6 will be completely closed, while the stations Gare-d’Austerlitz (lines 5 and 10), Saint-Marcel, and Campo-Formio (5) will be added to the long list of closed stations. Until 11:15 PM, the following stations will also be closed to the public: Javel-André-Citroën (line 10 and RER C), Saint-Michel-Notre-Dame (RER B and C), Boulainvilliers and Avenue-du-Président-Kennedy (RER C); and the following tramway T3a stops: Porte-de-Vincennes, Alexandra-David-Néel, Montempoivre, Porte-Dorée, Porte-de-Charenton, Avenue-de-France, and Maryse-Bastié. Starting at 9:30 PM, the situation will somewhat improve for users, who will be able to use certain stations and lines again at their convenience. Between 11:15 PM and the end of service, new stations will close their doors to avoid congestion after the ceremony. This will be the case for the stations Ecole-militaire and La Tour-Maubourg on line 8, Rue-du-Bac and Solférino on line 12, and Saint-François-Xavier and Varenne on line 13. Other lines will operate normally throughout the day. Exceptionally, most of the stations on lines 1, 4, and 14 will be open all night.
Parisian Bridges Inaccessible
The closure of metro stations is not the only disruption on the day of the opening ceremony. The Parisian bridges, at the heart of the spectacle on the Seine, will no longer be accessible. Starting at 1 PM, the Pont des Invalides, Pont de Sully, Pont Notre-Dame, Passerelle Léopold-Sédar-Senghor, and all bridges downstream of Iéna will be closed to motorized traffic at 1 PM and pedestrian traffic from 6 PM. The bridges upstream of Austerlitz will be closed to motorized traffic at 1 PM and pedestrian traffic from 5:30 PM.
Bars and Shops on Île de la Cité and Île Saint-Louis Closed
While the Paris police prefecture announced that Parisian bars would be open all night, those on Île de la Cité and Île Saint-Louis will not have this privilege. Both are part of the security perimeter for the opening ceremony, accessible only with a pass issued by the Ministry of the Interior, the Pass Jeux. All establishments on these islands must close for on-site consumption. However, beverage outlets and restaurants offering takeout can remain open.
Checks for Pedestrians, Cyclists, and Motor Vehicles, the Periphery Likely Closed
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For those traveling by car or on foot, there are several scenarios. Only pedestrians and cyclists with a Pass Jeux or a ticket for the opening ceremony can enter the anti-terrorist protection perimeter. Access to motor vehicles will be completely prohibited, except for security forces and emergencies. In the red perimeter, pedestrian traffic will be free, without restriction, without the need for a pass. Motor vehicles are prohibited, except for exceptions. Proof of identity must be presented at checkpoints manned by security forces.
The Paris police prefecture also advises against using your car after 10 AM on Friday in Paris due to security measures that will make “traffic conditions particularly difficult.” With Friday classified as a black day in Ile-de-France by Bison Futé, it is recommended that vacationers leaving this weekend travel before 10 AM on Friday or starting on Sunday. The police prefecture reminds that Saturday will see the time trial cycling events. Speaking on RTL, Patrice Vergriete, Minister of Transport, warned that part of the periphery could be closed, but the decision will be up to the police prefecture. The periphery will be particularly disrupted starting at 10 AM.
