Two trains carrying Olympic athletes were stopped en route to Paris

 

Firefighters set French train lines on fire after two trains carrying Olympic athletes were stopped en route to Paris

French PM says demolishing a key section of France's high-speed rail system appears to have "a clear purpose: to prevent it"

A blaze that hit the French high-speed rail system hours before the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics in Week 5 has affected tens of thousands of passengers.

Authorities had previously described the attack as a "catastrophic" and it comes amid heightened security measures in the French capital. The ceremony is expected to host 300,000 spectators and scores of VIP guests.

Rail week improves but disruptions still exist: workers

French railways are due to be upgraded over the weekend, but cancellations and delays will continue even after the emergency fire network is set up hours before the Olympic opening ceremony. Rail worker SNCF.

SNCF said it "wants to ensure that all participants and Olympic confirmed that "those who qualify" will be guaranteed to travel to their destinations.

Two-thirds of the high-speed trains connecting Paris to the west and south of France will depart as planned, while 80 percent of high-speed trains in northern France will continue to run.

British Prime Minister changes Olympic travel plans due to rail disruption

Two of the four trains carrying Olympic athletes to Paris on the West Atlantic high-speed line have been delayed ahead of the opening ceremony scheduled for 19.30 GMT, a worker at French rail's SNCF said on Friday that the disaster occurred due to coordination.

Separately, two strong German players, Philipp Westhaupt and Christian Kukuk, had travelled to Paris for the opening ceremony and had to return to Belgium because the train was closed, according to the dpa news agency.

Two trains carrying athletes to the Paris Olympics have been cancelled

Two of the four trains carrying Olympic athletes to Paris on the West Atlantic high-speed line have been delayed ahead of the opening ceremony scheduled for 19.30 GMT, a worker at French rail's SNCF said on Friday that the disaster occurred due to coordination.

Also according to the dpa news agency, two strong German players, Philipp Westhaupt and Christian Kukuk, went to Paris for the opening ceremony and had to return to Belgium because the train was closed.

Incendiary devices found on France's high-speed train line

Prosecutors in the southern French city of Marseille have been investigating electronic devices found on high-speed train lines since May, sources familiar with the matter told AFP on Friday. The device was discovered on May 8, the same day the Olympic torch was due to arrive in the Mediterranean port city.

Train sabotage won’t impact Olympic opening ceremony: Paris mayor

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said the arson attack on the railway “will not impact the Paris Olympic opening ceremony”.

Hidalgo described the impact as “unacceptable” and assured reporters that it would have no impact on the French capital’s transport system.

A quarter of Eurostar trains cancelled

Around 25% of trains on the Eurostar network, including the Paris-London route, were cancelled on Friday after extensive damage to France’s high-speed rail system.

“This will continue to be the case” on Saturday and Sunday, Eurostar said in a statement. In addition to the cancellation, Eurostar trains to and from Paris will run on normal routes rather than express lines.