French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin stated that the involvement of a foreign party in attacks that caused damage to signal stations and cables in the country's high-speed rail network cannot be ruled out, resulting in chaos on the day of the Olympic Games opening. The attacks, which occurred early yesterday morning, caused damage to the infrastructure on lines connecting the capital Paris with cities such as Lille in the north, Bordeaux in the west, and Strasbourg in the east. The national railway company reported that authorities had thwarted another attack on the Paris-Marseille line.
No group has claimed responsibility for these acts of sabotage so far. The minister told French Channel Two, "Who is responsible? It is either from within or it was ordered from abroad. It is too soon to determine that." He added, "We have identified certain elements that led us to believe we will soon know who is responsible."
Two security sources mentioned yesterday that the method of sabotage raises initial suspicions about leftist extremists or environmental activists, but there is no evidence so far. Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete and Jean-Pierre Farandou, chairman of the national railway company, pointed out to reporters on Saturday that train services on the high-speed railway network would return to normal by Monday.
The company confirmed that the transportation plans for competing teams in the Olympic Games would not be affected. Vergriete noted that about 100,000 people were unable to take their train journeys yesterday, while another 150,000 faced delays but ultimately reached their destinations. He added, "There will be disruptions tomorrow. Starting Monday, there will be no need for concern."
