Summary

  • Train services disrupted by a series of fires on French high-speed rail lines are slowly resuming, as Paris makes final preparations for the Olympics opening ceremony at 18:30 BST

  • Rail company SNCF says the saboteurs either vandalised or tried to vandalise five signal boxes and electricity installations between 01:00 and 05:30 local time

  • French PM Gabriel Attal vows to "find and punish" those responsible for targeting the rail network's "nerve centres"

  • Some 800,000 rail customers are expected to be affected, and one in four Eurostar services will be cancelled until Monday

Live Reporting

Edited by James Harness and Jamie Whitehead

  1. EuroAirport re-opens after 'bomb alert'

    Earlier this morning we brought you some developing news of an evacuation of EuroAirport - an important airport on the French-Swiss border.

    It was closed and all flights were grounded.

    In the last few moments EuroAirport says it has re-opened and "flight operations are gradually restarting".

    French police say the Basel-Mullhouse airport was shut due to a "bomb alert" earlier.

    It is unclear whether the alert relates to a threat inside the terminal, on an aircraft or in the vicinity of the airport.

    Passengers are being advised to check before they travel as a number of flights have been subjected to delays or cancellations.

  2. Rail sabotage is attack on 'the athletes' Games', says French sports minister

    France's sports minister has labelled the acts of sabotage on the country's high-speed rail network as an attack on the "the athletes' Games," in an interview with French broadcaster BFMTV.

    "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," sports minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra says.

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

  3. In pictures: Crowds build at stations hours before Olympic ceremony

    Here are some more pictures we are getting through from stations across France and St Pancras in London.

    Overhead image with SNCF workers wearing jackets speaking to crowd of passengersTHIBAUD MORITZ/AFP via Getty Images

    Gare Montparnasse: SNCF workers have been mobilised to provide information to passengers

    Shot from behind featuring SNCF workers wearing red speaking with passengersABDESSLAM MIRDASS/AFP via Getty Images

    SNCF staff helping passengers in Strasbourg navigate the disruption

    Overhead shot passengers queuing in St PancrasPA Media

    Queuing have been forming at the Eurostar terminal at St Pancras, London

    People sitting on the floor at a train stationEPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

    Passengers have been waiting on the floor of the Gare du Nord in Paris

  4. What we don't know so far

    Marita Moloney
    Live page editor

    While details of the disruption to France's high-speed rail network are still emerging, we still don't know who is responsible for the attack or what the motivation was.

    SNCF, the state-owned railway operator, says signal boxes along the lines connecting Paris with major cities to the north, east and southwest were damaged by fires in a "massive attack".

    It is working to fix the cables "one by one", but warns 800,000 people will be affected over the weekend due to the disruption.

    The French PM Gabriel Attal says police and intelligence services are working to find and punish those responsible, without giving further details. He is expected to give a statement later ahead of the Olympics opening ceremony.

    The Paris prosecutor’s office has opened a criminal investigation, warning of lengthy jail time and substantial fines for anyone found to be responsible.

    We're hoping to get further clarity on who was behind the attack, and will bring you everything we learn as we get it.

  5. We have full confidence in French authorities - Olympic president

    Thomas BachReuters

    The International Olympic Committee (IOC) president has given his reaction to the sabotaging of the train system hours before the Paris 2024 Games opening ceremony.

    "I don't have concerns," Thomas Bach tells the media at the Olympic Athletes' Village.

    "We have full confidence in the French authorities."

  6. We'll have to repair cables one-by-one - rail boss

    SNCF employees inspect the scene of a suspected attack on the high speed railway network at Croiselles, northern FranceGetty Images

    SNCF employees inspect the scene at Croisilles in northern France

    The president of the state rail company SNCF gives some context as to how meticulous the repair work is going to be across the affected parts of France's high-speed network.

    Jean-Pierre Farandou says the attackers started fires in "conduits carrying multiple (fibre-optic) cables" that relay "safety information for drivers", according to news agency AFP.

    "There's a huge number of bundled cables. We have to repair them one-by-one, it's a manual operation requiring hundreds of workers," he adds.

  7. Nearly 250,000 customers affected today - rail company

    The head of an SNCF subsidiary branch has said that the network is expecting 250,000 travellers to be affected by the disruption today and 800,000 over the weekend.

    Christophe Fanichet, the CEO of the SNCF Voyageurs, says the disruption will be minimised as things improve.

    He reminds people that the South East branch of the rail network is not affected.

    The rail company is hoping to improve the North and East branches "step by step" but trains will be one and a half to two hours late, with some cancelled.

    There will be no trains from Montparnasse until 13:00 Paris time.

    Affected travellers will be reimbursed, Fanichet says, and will be kept informed via SMS and email.

    He asks that people do not come to the stations unless they have received communications that their trains are running.

  9. Railway workers and officials at the site of the attack

    We're now seeing photos of SNCF railway workers and law enforcement officers at a site where vandals targeted France's high-speed train network with a series of coordinated actions that brought major disruption.

    SNCF railway workers and police officers at a site where vandals targeted France's high-speed train networkReuters
    SNCF workers and police officers at the sceneReuters
    SNCF workers and police officers at the sceneReuters

  10. Eurostar urges passengers not to travel - here is what you need to know

    Passengers queue at the Eurostar terminal at St Pancras station in central London. French rail officials say several lines have been hit by "malicious acts" which have heavily disrupted services ahead of the OlympicsPA Media

    Eurostar is now encouraging passengers to postpone travel if possible amid details of fresh delays and cancellations to services between the UK and France.

    According to Eurostar's website, two services from London St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord which have been cancelled.

    These include the services departing London at 15:31 and 19:01 are no longer running.

    One Eurostar train from the Paris to London, the 12:12 service, has also been cancelled.

    For those affected, you might be wondering what your next steps are.

    Well, Eurostar lists a few options including exchanging your booking for a different date, cancelling and claiming an e-voucher or you can ask for a full refund.

    Currently the majority of Eurostar trains between London and Paris are still running - but with delays of at least an hour.

  11. EuroAirport evacuated due to 'safety reasons' as flights grounded

    Some news just coming to us from elsewhere on the continent - EuroAirport Basel–Mulhouse–Freiburg has temporary grounded flights due to "safety reasons".

    The airport is located in France and is operated jointly by France and Switzerland.

    A post on social media says the terminal has been evacuated and closed.

    We have no indication whether this is linked to the rail disruption in France, but we will bring you more details as we get them.

  12. Train routes in France facing disruption

    The Atlantique, Nord and Est lines of the TGV network have been impacted by disruptions after being sabotaged.

    The Atlantique goes from Paris to Bordeaux, the Nord goes from Paris to Lille and the Est takes passengers from Paris to Strasbourg.

    Map showing train routes impacted in France

  13. BBC receives images of charred wires near railway

    Ian Casey
    Live reporter

    The mayor of Vald'Yerre, a commune in north-central France, has just shared some photographs with the BBC.

    The first image appears to show some charred wires, which Mayor Franck Marchand says were taken at a railway line in Saint-Pellerin-Courtalain - that's some 143km (88 miles) from Paris.

    In the second image we can see cars featuring the logo of French railway company, SNCF.

    Earlier SNCF posted on X to say that "acts of malice" affected several high speed lines, with trains being diverted or cancelled.

    Charred wires with holes inVald’yerre Mairie
    SNCF cars lined up on a country roadVald’yerre Mairie

    The BBC hasn't been able to independently verify these images.

  14. Disruption to last whole weekend, SNCF boss says

    Here's a bit more from Jean-Pierre Farandou, the CEO of the SNCF.

    Speaking to BFM TV, he says that it was France and the French people that were attacked today.

    "I am thinking of all the French who won't be able to go on holiday today, or those who will leave in worse conditions," he says.

    "It will certainly last the whole weekend, because it will take a long time to fix....it's a day of sadness today," Farandou continues.

    He says that the job of the railways is a public service, to transport people when they need it, and "today we can't do it".

    Farandou also seeks to reassure the French that thousands of people are being mobilised to fix the network, to help guide those who need help at train stations and help people get around where possible.

    Passengers sitting on the floor at the Gare MontparnasseGetty Images

    Passengers waiting at the Gare Montparnasse

  15. Follow the latest Olympics sports news on our dedicated Paris 2024 live page

    As we continue to bring you the latest updates on the train troubles in France, we just want to remind you that you can follow all our sports coverage from the 2024 Olympics via our dedicated live page.

    The opening ceremony starts at 18:30 BST tonight and we'll be covering the build-up to the event, which take place along the River Seine in Paris.

    Diver Tom Daley and rower Helen Glover will be Great Britain's flagbearers for the ceremony.

    Read about seven things to look out for during the Olympic opening ceremony.

    Close up partial image of the Eiffel Tower in Paris with the Olympic ringsEPA

  16. 'Massive' effect on the rail network: French PM

    French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal says "acts of sabotage" were carried out in a "prepared and coordinated manner on SNCF installations".

    In a post on X, the prime minister says the effect on the rail network is "massive and serious" and expresses his gratitude to firefighters at the scene.

    He says he's thinking of all the French people who were preparing to go on vacation and shares their anger, adding that he thanks them for their patience.

    He adds that French security forces are searching for the culprits of sabotage.

  17. Paris 2024 'working closely' with rail operator

    Paris 2024, the organiser of this year's Olympic Games, say they are "assessing the situation" following vandalism on France's high speed rail network.

    ”Paris 2024 has taken note of incidents affecting the Atlantic, North and East lines of the SNCF rail network. We are working closely with our partner, the rail operator SNCF, to assess the situation," they say in a statement.

  18. Rail disruption threatens the 'grand départ'

    Nadia Ragozhina
    Live page editor

    Not only is today the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, it's also a key date for Parisians to begin their month-long summer break.

    The month of August is sacred to Parisians. You can forget getting an appointment with your accountant, or booking a table at your favourite local restaurant.

    Many streets will be deserted while the inhabitants of the French capital head to the countryside, the beach or the mountains.

    And the grand départ begins today, prompting the boss of the rail network, the SNCF, to call today a "day of sadness" and "an attack on the French".

    While the French are away, it's the tourists who take over the city, many choosing to enjoy Paris while it's eerily empty.

    Today, of course, is different.

    Thousands of athletes are set to sail through central Paris tonight for the Olympic Games opening ceremony in front of over 300,000 spectators and an audience of VIPs and celebrities from around the world.

    Many French people would have also been trying to get to the city to enjoy the Olympic Games being staged in their capital.

  19. Crowds gather at Montparnasse train station in Paris

    Sophie Abdulla
    BBC News

    "Some" trains have been cancelled and "dozens" are delayed at the Gare Montparnasse in Paris, a passenger has told the BBC.

    There's "more than three hours" delay on some trains and people are "annoyed" at the disruption, according to the passenger Melanie.

    You can see some of the scenes at Gare Montparnasse in the video below:

    Olympics: Crowds form at a Paris train station

  20. A calm mood at Gare Du Nord as officials try to keep trains moving

    Andrew Harding
    Reporting from Gare du Nord

    The main concourse at Paris’s Gare Du Nord is crowded with hundreds of stranded passengers, waiting patiently for news about delayed trains following the overnight attacks on France’s high-speed lines.

    The Gare Du Nord is the main hub for trains departing to London, Brussels and Amsterdam.

    “No news. We’re just waiting to see if they’ll put us on a slower train,” says a French man whose Amsterdam train has been cancelled.

    Groups of armed French soldiers and police can be seen patrolling the station. Here and at the nearby Gare De L’Est – serving eastern France – there are plenty of other trains arriving and departing on the regular network.

    An SNCF official at the Gare De L’Est tells me that they are making plans to put the highspeed TGV trains onto other, slower lines, which would mean long delays and disruptions, but would also keep the network moving.

    The mood overall seems calm. Many Parisians are heading out of the city for summer holidays, while French and foreign tourists are arriving for the Olympic Games.

    Much of central Paris is almost deserted, on a grey, drizzly morning, with tight security close to the River Seine ahead of tonight’s opening ceremony.