Olympics travel: Eurostar cancels 1 in 4 trains as arson attacks cause French high-speed rail chaos

Eurostar and other French high-speed rail networks were thrown into chaos on Friday as a series of arson attacks disrupting travel to Paris only hours before the Olympic opening ceremony.

Prime Minister Gabriel Attal saying there would be "massive and serious" consequences both for people trying to travel to Paris and for those heading to other parts of the country or across the Channel.

National rail company SNCF said its Atlantic, North and East networks were damaged in the incidents, with fires laid across the tracks, while an attempted attack in the South-East was foiled.

Trains from London to Paris and Lille were being delayed by around an hour and a half, with a quarter cancelled. Eurostar said this would remain the case over the weekend, with the service not back to normal until Monday.

All high-speed trains to and from Paris have been diverted to a slower line and the company urged customers to postpone their journeys if possible.

Prosecutors in Paris opened a national investigation, saying the crimes could carry sentences of 15 to 20 years.

French rail operator SNCF said the situation should last “at least all weekend” but that teams were already on site carrying out checks and beginning repairs.

Key Points

• Eurostar warns of long delays due to 'acts of malice in France'

• Trains thrown into turmoil hours before Paris Olympics opening ceremony

• Major disruption should last 'at least all weekend' says French rail operator

• Quarter of Eurostar trains cancelled following arson attacks

Follow our live coverage of the opening ceremony

19:06 , Miriam Burrell

That’s all for our live coverage on the disruption to Eurostar services.

Please follow our live coverage of the Paris Olympic opening ceremony here.

Most dramatic pictures from Paris 2024 parade along the Seine

18:57 , Anthony France

The Paris Olympics opening ceremony has begun

18:45 , Anthony France

The Olympics - one of the most-watched television events in the world with an estimated 1.5 billion people set to turn in from all corners of the globe - has started in Paris.

Organisers say the show will last for about three hours, though if history is any guide it will overrun.

All eyes are riveted on the giant screens set up along the Seine as competing nations travel up the river on boats. Greece are first.

Shots of soccer legend Zinedine Zidane appears on the screen to a round of applause.

Celebrities turn out for Olympic opening ceremony

18:28 , Anthony France

Among other celebrities on the red carpet, onlookers have seen Vogue editor Anna Wintour and director Baz Luhrmann.

Chrissy Teigen was with musician husband John Legend with their children Miles and Luna.

Tom Hiddleston is ‘sheer class’ as he starts BBC’s Olympic coverage

18:19 , Anthony France

Sports fans have gone wild as actor Tom Hiddleston opened BBC One’s coverage of Paris 2024 wandering around Paris and speaking to the camera looking smooth, charming and handsome.

Speaking in French, he announced: “Let the Games begin. Welcome to Paris,” before continuing in English: “This is a story 100 years in the making.”

One said on X, formerly Twitter: “Sheer class.”

French PM saboteurs targeted rail network ‘nerve centres’

18:02 , Anthony France

French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said attackers behind “co-ordinated” vandalism which caused disruption ahead of the Olympics had knowledge of the rail network and targeted the “nerve centres” of the system.

“What we know, what we see is that this operation was prepared, coordinated, that ‘nerve centres’ were targeted, which shows a form of knowledge of the network to know where to strike.”

Attal added during a visit to the transport ministry crisis centre: “I can’t tell you more about the authors and their motivations. But I see the impact, a massive impact for many of our fellow citizens.

Team GB supporter ‘panicked’ when Paris train cancelled

17:48 , Anthony France

Team GB fan Ian Ralph said he felt “panic” and “stressed” when he realised his train to Paris was cancelled on Friday ahead of Olympics events his family have tickets for, including the women’s football on Sunday and beach volleyball on Monday.

Speaking at St Pancras, the researcher from Southampton said: “We looked straight on our phones, saw the headlines and then my wife got an email from Eurostar straight away going ‘your train’s been cancelled’.”

Mr Ralph, 48, said he managed to book him and his family onto a train at 6pm – around three hours later than his original booking.

When asked how he felt when he saw the news, Mr Ralph said: “Panic, but then you go into like ‘okay, what do we need to do?'”

He continued: “I’m just stressed – I just want our train to come up on the board here and then we’ll get into the system, then I think I can relax once I know they’re checking us in.

“Our girls are 12 and 14 – the next time the Olympics come to Europe they’ll be grown up, when it was in London they were babies – so this is our chance to go and do the Olympics with them.”

A Wicked sighting at the opening ceremony

17:40 , Anthony France

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, the stars of the film Wicked, have made their way to Paris for the Olympic opening ceremony.

Erivo wore green, Grande wore pink, and that’s likely not a coincidence — given the color scheme of the story. The film is scheduled for a late November release.

Meanwhile, Carl Lewis, the US nine-time Olympic gold medalist in track and field, was among the long list of celebrities that hit the red carpet before the opening ceremony of the Paris Games.

And even though he’s more than 30 years removed from his third and final Olympics — Barcelona in 1992 — the legendary sprinter and jumper understands what athletes of this generation must be feeling on the brink of these Paris Games.

“I’m very emotional,” Lewis told France 2 television during its broadcast. “First of all, I understand what these young people are going through and I appreciate the fact that they have come to a wonderful, beautiful country and a beautiful city. A lot of these athletes have never been to Paris or seen this energy before. So, I think it’s incredible.”

Lady Gaga rehearses near Austerlitz Bridge shortly before opening ceremony

17:13 , Anthony France

Lady Gaga rehearsed for about an hour near the Austerlitz Bridge, a sign that the American pop star will perform at Friday’s opening ceremony.

She finished up around 5.40pm, two hours before the ceremony was set to begin, and waved to fans as she walked off with her bandmembers.

The area near the start of the Olympic parade route where she was singing features a makeshift yellow staircase in the traditional style of the old French subways, with an improvised subway sign simply but appropriately called PARIS.

Her representatives would not confirm to the Associated Press that she was performing.

Frustrated spectators ‘pushed through a cattle pen’ at opening ceremony venue

17:04 , Anthony France

Spectators are rushing into the venue near Invalides after waiting for hours, initially told scanners at their entrance were broken.

It left a number of older spectators like 66-year-old Erica Chammas flustered and frustrated as many visitors pushed into her and a number of young children in line.

“They were pushed through a cattle pen all through one door,” the 66-year-old English-French woman said. “They way we were let in was shocking. The little girl next to me was nearly trampled.”

Fans line Seine River with flags

16:57 , Anthony France

Fans are draping flags over the sides of viewing areas along the Seine River and from nearby apartment windows and balconies.

The French tricolor flag is prominent, but there are also flags from Mexico, South Korea, Austria, Denmark, Germany, the United States and Greece.

Interior minister hopes for ‘quick arrests’ over French railway sabotage

16:48 , Anthony France

French interior minister Gérald Darmanin expressed his wish arrests are made quickly over the rail network sabotage.

Speaking to BFMTV, Darmanin thanked police and military personnel.

Paris 2024 organisers have just opened controls to begin allowing those with tickets to come and see the opening ceremony.

He adds that he believes the “fête” will not be comparable to anything in the world.

There are more than 50,000 police and military patrolling and carrying out checks in addition to private security.

Who carried out the sabotage attacks?

16:23 , Jacob Phillips

Nobody has claimed responsibility for the attacks and France's Prime Minister Gabriel Attal has said it is too early to speculate about who might be behind them.

Two security sources told Reuters that the mode of attack meant initial suspicions fell on leftist militants or environmental activists, but cautioned they did not yet have any evidence.

The Paris prosecutor's office said an investigation would be overseen by its organised crime office, with the anti-terrorist sub-directorate (SDAT), a branch of the judicial police that typically monitors far-left, far-right and radical environmental groups, coordinating investigations.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in June that the alliance had seen several examples of "sabotage, of arson attempts" by Russia, but there is no indication that Moscow might have been behind Friday's attacks in France.

What do we know so far about the attacks?

16:21 , Jacob Phillips

Explosive devices set off fires on signalling infrastructure on three railway lines going into Paris, rail operator SNCF said.

The attacks hit the lines from cities such as Lille in the north, Bordeaux in the west and Strasbourg in the east.

Another attack on the Paris-Marseille line was foiled.

One attack happened by lines near Courtalain, southwest of Paris, another in Pagny-sur-Moselle in northeast France and the other in Croisilles near the Belgian border.

Pictures released by SNCF showed engineers repairing charred cables in signal substations.

SNCF chief Jean-Pierre Farandou said some 800,000 customers had been impacted ahead of a busy weekend for French holidaymakers.

What to expect from the Paris Olympics?

16:01 , Jacob Phillips

The 2024 Paris Olympics begins today.

Preparations for the opening ceremony and 329 medal events across 32 sports are well underway in the French capital. Paris last held the Games exactly 100 years ago, the second of three times it has hosted the sporting extravaganza after 1900.

Tony Estanguet, president of the Paris Olympics, said: “We really wish to make Paris 2024 the first ‘Games Wide Open’, and we are fully dedicated to bringing this concept to life.”

Read more about what to expect from the games here.

Man who spent £1,800 on Eurostar tickets considers flying

15:17 , Jacob Phillips

A man who has spent £1,800 on Eurostar tickets to get to the Olympics said he is now considering flying or driving after trains keep getting cancelled.

Scott Wilkins, 47, booked a ticket on the 3.31pm train in November last year but discovered earlier on Friday that it was cancelled because of arson attacks that have disrupted the French rail network.

Determined to get to Paris to watch the rugby sevens finals on Saturday with his partner, Mr Wilkins said he had no option but to book business class tickets on the 4.31pm and 8.01pm services on Friday – meaning he will have spent £1,800 altogether.

However, after the 4.31pm was cancelled on Friday afternoon, the project manager from Hertfordshire said he is now considering flying or driving to make the games.

Prime Minister changes travel plans after rail networks sabotaged

15:15 , Jacob Phillips

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer changed his travel plans after French rail networks were hit by what the French premier has said were co-ordinated acts of sabotage.

A Downing Street spokeswoman said Sir Keir was meant to be travelling on the Eurostar to Paris ahead of the Olympics opening ceremony, but flew to France instead due to the the disruption and delays.

Family spend €1,200 on taxi to Paris

15:06 , Jacob Phillips

A family have spent over £1000 on a taxi to Paris after their train was cancelled this morning.

Collins Onyeukwu from Lagos in Nigeria paid €1,200 for a taxi to drive the group 600km from Bordeaux to Paris.

He told the BBC: “Originally the staff [at Bordeaux station] didn’t know what had happened and they couldn’t tell us when the trains would be back on.

“It was chaotic. We were asking questions and nobody seemed to know what was happening. Then we read from the news there was some sort of crisis on the railways.

“Our train was cancelled, all trains to Paris had been cancelled, and staff didn’t know when the line would be back up and running."

He told the broadcaster his family had been planning to see the opening ceremony for three years and that he “had to do it” so his children could experience the event.

Two British athletes subject to 'minor delays'

14:26 , Will Mata

The pair of British athletes who have been subject to the ongoing Eurostar issues have experienced only minor delays.

The Guardian has reported the two who are coming in from London today should be in Paris without too much fuss.

Sadiq Khan is also on his way from the capital and is confident of being on time for the opening ceremony.

But it is worse news for two German showjumpers who have reported they are stuck in Belgium and cannot get there in time.

London to enjoy its own Olympics boom from Paris 2024 games

14:09 , Will Mata

London and the wider UK economy can expect a multi-million pound boost off the back of the Paris Olympics with the capital benefiting from its near neighbour’s hosting of the games.

A new study found the average Team GB supporter will spend £4,174 to cheer on their Olympic heroes with nearly 1 million Brits expected to travel to watch the games – giving UK athletes the biggest home support of any nation except the hosts France.

Robert Dex has the whole story here.

Two trains carrying Olympic athletes stopped hours before ceremony

14:01 , Will Mata

Two trains carrying Olympic athletes to Paris on the western Atlantique line were stopped hours before the opening ceremony, rail company SNCF has said.

The operator said one train was canceled and authorities hope the other will become operational.

From London this afternoon, only two trains are listed as cancelled: The 15:31 and the 19:01.

Most of the others are listed as being delayed by around one hour.

Fan park opens at London's Battersea Power Station

13:51 , Will Mata

A fan zone has opened at Battersea Power Station for the Olympics and Paralympics to be watched en masse.

Beijing 2008 Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogu cut the ribbon on Friday afternoon.

Visitors will be able to have a go at a 100m running track, cycle speed racing and a climbing wall.

Railway attack: French prosecutors have opened a formal investigation

13:35 , Will Mata

French prosecutors have opened a formal investigation Friday morning’s coordinated attack on the railway network.

The SNCF said it was a “massive attack” aimed at trying to paralyse the whole network.

It added the situation will last all weekend while repairs are made.

The Paris public prosecutor Laure Beccuau said an investigation had been opened.

Prime Minister urges people to follow travel advice

12:55

Sir Keir Starmer has urged people going to Paris for the Olympics to heed the travel advice after what appeared to be co-ordinated vandalism caused disruption to Eurostar services.

The Prime Minister’s spokeswoman said: “Obviously the situation is concerning, and like the statements you’ve seen from the French, it is also incredibly frustrating for people travelling to attend the Games and the Olympic ceremony.

“The Prime Minister would urge people to continue to follow the travel advice and the statements from the travel operators.”

The spokeswoman added: “Irrespective of this disruption, it is very clear that both in France, here and around the world, everyone is hugely excited and looking forward to what will be an incredibly successful Olympic Games, and we won’t let disruption overshadow that.”

12:45 , Jacob Phillips

France's sports minister has called the arson attacks on France’s high-speed rail an attack on the "the athletes' Games".

In an interview with French broadcaster BFMTV sports minister, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, said: "These games are for the athletes who have been dreaming of them for years and fighting for the holy grail of standing on the podium and someone's sabotaging that for them.”

She added that the Paris 2024 Olympics "have been prepared for so carefully by hundreds of thousands of our fellow citizens for almost 10 years".

Eurostar reveals scale of disruption

12:12 , Jacob Phillips

Eurostar has revealed that a quarter of its services will be cancelled until Monday.

In a new statement, Eurostar said: “Due to co-ordinated malicious acts in France affecting the high-speed line between Paris and Lille, all high-speed trains going to and coming from Paris are being diverted via the classic line today, Friday July 26.

This extends the journey time up to an hour and a half.

“Eurostar expects this situation will last until Monday morning.

“Today, Eurostar will cancel 25 per cent of its trains. It will also be the case on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28.

“Eurostar’s teams are fully mobilised in stations, in the call centres, and onboard to ensure that all passengers are informed and can reach their destination.”

Quarter of Eurostar trains cancelled following arson attacks

12:07 , Jacob Phillips

One in four Eurostar trains will be cancelled on Friday and over the weekend following arson attacks on the French railway network, the company said.

Further details emerge after bomb alert at Basel-Mulhouse airport

11:48

We can now bring you more updates on a bomb alert at Basel-Mulhouse airport.

The airport was was evacuated and closed on Friday, but has since re-opened.

An Air France flight to Paris was on standby at the airport due to the bomb alert, the airline told Reuters.

The Basel-Mulhouse EuroAirport said on X: “The airport has reopened, and flight operations are gradually restarting.

“Passengers are requested to contact their airline for information about their flight.”

You can read more about the incident here.

Sabotage will have 'massive and serious' consequences says French Prime Minister

11:36 , Jacob Phillips

French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal described the consequences of sabotage across the French rail network as “massive and serious”.

He wrote on X: “Early this morning, acts of sabotage were carried out in a prepared and coordinated manner on SNCF installations.

“The consequences on the rail network are massive and serious. I express my sincere gratitude to our firefighters who intervened on the affected sites and to the SNCF agents who will carry out the necessary work to restore the network.

“I think of all the French people, all the families, who were preparing to go on vacation. I share their anger and salute their patience, their understanding and the civic-mindedness they demonstrate.

“Our intelligence services and law enforcement are mobilised to find and punish the perpetrators of these criminal acts.”

Airport evacuated due to bomb alert, say French police

11:32 , Jacob Phillips

The Franco-Swiss airport of Basel-Mulhouse has been evacuated and shut due to a bomb alert, the French police said.

Eurostar tells customers to cancel their trips

11:29 , Jacob Phillips

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

In an update to the earlier statement, the rail operator said: “We encourage our customers to postpone their trip if possible.”

Major disruption should last 'at least all weekend' says French rail operator

11:23 , Jacob Phillips

SNCF said the situation should last “at least all weekend” but that teams were already on site carrying out checks and beginning repairs.The French operator advised all its passengers to postpone their journeys and “not to go to the station”.

Speaking to Sky News, French sports minister Amelie Oudea-Castera said: “I condemn them extremely strongly. It’s just unacceptable.

“It’s probably a large-scale sabotage with some malicious acts, probably co-ordinating.”

Paris prosecutor's office opens investigation into arson attacks

11:19

The Paris prosecutor's office has opened an investigation into arson attacks on the French high-speed rail network.

The National Jurisdiction for the Fight against Organized Crime is handling it.

The prosecutor's office said it had "jurisdiction over crimes involving the deterioration of property that threaten the fundamental interests of the nation."

This crime, it added, carried a potential 15-year sentence and fines of 225,000 euros.

Further, it said crimes involving "degradation and attempted degradation by dangerous means in an organized group" can carry a 20-year prison sentence and fines of 150,000 euros.

Sadiq Khan has 'full confidence' Eurostar will get him to Paris for opening ceremony

10:40 , Jacob Phillips

London mayor Sadiq Khan was departing from St Pancras thismorning to attend tonight’s opening ceremony, as the guest of Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo.

He told the Standard he had “full confidence” in Eurostar being able to get him to the French capital, and said his train was due to depart on time.

“It’s unfortunate what has happened with the vandalism, but it’s looking good,” he said. “I have spoken to colleagues at Eurostar and they are confident.

“I think the issue is that rather than the train running at high speed, it may not run as fast on the [French] side. But they are a crack team – they know what they are doing. We will get there, though not as quickly as we otherwise would.”

Paris puts up ring of steel ahead of Friday's opening ceremony

10:37 , Jacob Phillips

A ring of steel is in place for Friday’s Olympic Games opening ceremony, with up to 75,000 police, soldiers and security guards on high alert.

Organisers and government officials have taken what they call a “zero risk” approach, with the largest deployment of security personnel in peacetime in French history. It is estimated that the security cost could well exceed the £1billion spent on London 2012.

A total of 44,000 metal barriers have been erected along the banks of the Seine, where a lavish and unprecedented opening ceremony will take place. Residents of certain areas of the city have required QR codes just to access their homes. Read more about the security measures in Paris here.

Two team GB athletes hit by minor delays due to travel chaos

10:15 , Jacob Phillips

The majority of Team GB athletes are arriving at the Games via Eurostar.

But, the British Olympic Association has confirmed that only two athletes were scheduled to arrive on Friday and had been subject to only minor delays.

Trains will be disrupted until the weekend, says French transport minister

09:58 , Jacob Phillips

French transport minister Patrice Vergriete has condemned “malicious acts” that have severely disrupted travel across the country.

High-speed trains have been hit by what the 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 said its Atlantic, North and East networks were damaged in the incidents, but that an attempted attack in the South-East was foiled.

Vergriete wrote in a post on X: “Co-ordinated malicious acts targeted several TGV lines last night and will seriously disrupt traffic until this weekend.

“I strongly condemn these criminal actions which will compromise the departures on vacation of many French people. A big thank you to the #SNCF teams, on deck to restore traffic conditions as quickly as possible.”

Disruption comes hours before Paris Olympics opening ceremony

09:48 , Jacob Phillips

France has been hit by travel chaos hours before the opening ceremony for Paris 2024.

The games are set to officially get underway with a stunning opening ceremony is planned on the River Seine.

The ceremony will take place away from the Olympic Stadium for the first time in the history of the modern games.

Spectators can enjoy proceedings along a 6km stretch of the river before settling at the Trocadéro, opposite the Eiffel Tower.

The athlete parade will be carried out on 116 boats but there will also be an artistic performance on the water – for which details remain a secret other than that it will be directed by stage legend Thomas Jolly. You can read more about what to expect from the opening ceremony here.

Travel from Switzerland to France not hit by disruption

09:34 , Jacob Phillips

Swiss rail operator SBB said train traffic from Switzerland to France is currently not being impacted by disruptions to the rail network in France that took place ahead of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony on Friday.

Eurostar forced to cancel trains to Paris

09:30

Eurostar had planned to run 18 trains out of St Pancras toParis on Friday, more than normal.

But by 9.30am it had already been forced to canceltwo services – the 3.31pm and 7.01pm departures.

Eurostar statement in full

09:16 , Jacob Phillips

The Eurostar has been hit by 90-minute delays as high-speed trains have had to be diverted following arson attack in France.

Here is what the Eurostar told the Standard in a statement: “Due to coordinated acts of malice in France, affecting the high-speed line between Paris and Lille, all high-speed trains going to and coming from Paris are being diverted via the classic line today, Friday 26 July.

“This extends the journey time by around an hour and a half. Several trains have been cancelled.

“Eurostar's teams are fully mobilised in stations, in the call centres, and onboard to ensure that all passengers are informed and can reach their destination.”

Eurostar tells customers to postpone trips

09:13 , Jacob Phillips

A message on Eurostar’s website has told passengers to delay their trips.

It said: “Due to a problem with the overhead power supply in France today, we advise you to postpone your trip as your train is likely to be delayed due to infrastructure issues.”Eurostar has also warned that services in both directions could be hit by 90-minute delays because of the disruption.

What we know so far

09:12 , Jacob Phillips

Fans travelling to the Paris Olympic Games have been hit by long delays after “acts of malice” hit the French railway.

Vandals have carried out arson attacks on France’s high-speed train network.

Eurostar advised passengers travelling to Paris on Friday to postpone their trip and travellers face 90-minute delays on the service.

The Paris Olympics opening ceremony will take place on Friday evening on the River Reine.

Read our latest story on the disruption here.