Image source, Reuters

Veronique Phillips from Macclesfield is currently travelling to Paris from Bordeaux with her husband via smaller trains after their initial train from south west France was delayed.

She described hearing about the disruption first through family, then by it being on the news.

“I am annoyed with the people who did these acts," Veronique says - as she embarks on the second of three local trains to get to Paris.

“It is causing a lot of upset and stress.

“Staff no doubt will work extra time and be taken away from their families to do so. On top of it there is the cost impact to SNCF and us.

“I just hope they catch who did this.”

Image source, Reuters

Maxine George, from Emsworth in Hampshire, was on one of the first Eurostar services out of London St Pancras and she has got in touch to share her experience.

“The train arrived two hours late," Maxine says. "About one hour into the journey we were told there had been an incident and we were routing through 'the classic route'."

Maxine describes the scene in Paris Gare du Nord as "chaotic but calm".

“There is an extensive security and police presence," she adds.

Now Maxine is in Paris she says she is looking forward to catching the opening ceremony later tonight before heading back home on Saturday.

She adds: “We are meant to be travelling back tomorrow lunchtime on Eurostar if it is working!”

Chris Bockman
Reporting from Toulouse, France

The French rail network is slowly resuming fast speed train services on the lines that had been sabotaged overnight.

The SNCF has just provided an update to the BBC, reporting that emergency repairs are now permitting limited services this afternoon between the French capital and Brittany in the west, as well as to the south-west, including Bordeaux and Toulouse.

Rail travel is also picking up between Paris and Lille as well as Strasbourg, but delays of up to two hours are expected for all fast speed (TGV) rail services.

The SNCF stresses that the disruption will continue all weekend on what is traditionally one of the busiest travel weekends in France. As well as tourists heading to the Olympics in Paris, tens of thousands are trying to leave Paris by train headed to Brittany and the south for the start of their long summer holidays.

French rail authorities say they will provide an update on the situation at 16:30 BST.

Several unions for French rail workers have released a joint statement condemning the attack on the high speed rail network, describing it as a "blow to the SNCF public service".

The CGT Cheminots, UNSA-Ferroviaire, Sud-Rail and CFDT Cheminots unions offer their support to the railway workers who have been mobilised to restore the rail traffic, the statement says, as well as workers who are on duty in stations and on trains to provide customer support.

In the UK, the Department for Transport says it is "in close contact" with Eurostar and French authorities regarding the ongoing disruption.

It is advising anyone planning on travelling today to check ahead before leaving and to follow advice from the Foreign Office and Eurostar.

France's sports minister says the disruption has left her feeling "dismayed".

Amélie Oudéa-Castéra says while she had anticipated such incidents, it's "very bad news" and has "generated for us a mix of anger and frustration".

"I have to say I’m really dismayed by what's happening," she says. "People doing such things are really playing against the side of France."

She adds that officials are currently evaluating the impact of the incident.

As we've reported, the train disruption happened just hours ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics.

Image source, Reuters

France's transport minister has confirmed that a number of incendiary devices have been found by authorities investigating the cause of major rail disruptions across France.

In an interview with French broadcaster TF1, external, the French transport minister Patrice Vergriete says "des engins incendiaires" (incendiary devices) were found but refuses to say who might be behind the attacks on the rail network.

He describes the attacks as a "criminal act" and the security forces are on high alert.

Meanwhile, French broadcaster BFMTV reports that an incendiary device was found in Marseille in May on the LGV line when the Olympic torch was in town, according to a police source.

Image source, EPA

France is grappling with security and political turmoil as the Games officially begin.

So what’s the mood on the streets of Paris? Will this be the “greenest” Olympics and Paralympics ever, as organisers have promised? And could the Games offer a lifeline to President Emmanuel Macron after disappointing parliamentary elections?

James Reynolds speaks to the BBC’s Paris Correspondent Andrew Harding.

You can watch the episode here.

Sam Harrison
Reporting from St Pancras

Eurostar’s Chief Commercial Officer says he’s confident most people in the UK will still be able to get to Paris for the Olympic Games despite widespread rail disruption in France.

François Le Doze says the majority of passengers hoping to leave today will still be able to do so.

Trains will have to run slower along certain sections in France after the network was attacked and damaged.

Le Doze says extra staff at St Pancras International have helped keep things calm in London and that overall there is still a general mood of excitement.

As we've been reporting, the Eurostar is cancelling one in four of its trains between London and Paris today.

The parents of athlete Ellie Boatman from Team GB Rugby Sevens team have been at St Pancras this morning in the Eurostar queue and are "prepared to wait for however long".

Asked whether the delays might get in the way of their excitement, they both resolutely reply "no".

"If we're sitting stationary on a comfortable train, we'll just have to have another glass of prosecco."

French military personnel and police officers have been seen at the Gare du Nord station in Paris.

Passenger Sarah Moseley says the disruption was "a hell of a way to start the Olympics" as she tried to travel to London.

Corey Grainger, also trying to head to London, says "they should have more information for tourists".

SNCF says the situation should last "at least all weekend" but that teams are already on site carrying out checks and beginning repairs.

The operator has advised all its passengers to postpone their journeys and "not to go to the station".

Image source, EPA

Image source, EPA

Cachella Smith
Live reporter

Thanks for joining us this morning as we've been bringing you all the latest on the major disruption that's occurred across the French rail network following what's been termed "malicious acts".

The SNCF has confirmed that three high speed lines (Atlantique, Nord and Est) have been affected while an attack on a fourth line running south was foiled.

The Eurostar has also seen trains cancelled and delayed - that's affected passengers in London St Pancras.

Passengers have been asked to stay away from stations until they receive communication that their train is definitely running.

As a reminder - today is the day of the opening ceremony for the Olympic Games, it's also the national "grand départ" - the day when many in France head away for their annual, often month-long summer holiday.

SNCF are expecting 250,000 passengers on their network to be affected today and almost 800,000 across the weekend.

We're hearing that hundreds of workers are being deployed to help rebuild affected cables, which will be fixed "one by one".

As always, we'll keep you updated with the latest information the moment it comes through to us in the newsroom.

Image source, Getty Images

BBC Paris correspondent Andrew Harding is at Paris Gare du Nord train station, where hundreds of people are waiting after a series of attacks across France damaged high-speed rail lines.

Investigators likely to be focusing on activists and extremistspublished at 12:36 British Summer Time 26 July

12:36 BST 26 July

Frank Gardner
Security correspondent

France has no shortage of adversaries when it comes to people who profoundly resent its government’s policies, over Ukraine, West Africa or closer to home, the wearing of the veil.

Over the past decade, the country has been the victim of several major attacks - in Paris, Nice and elsewhere, all linked to so-called Islamic State (Isis) - as well as smaller, isolated, but still violent attacks on individuals by jihadists.

Today’s attack on France’s high-speed rail network has been classed as sabotage, rather than terrorism – no-one was killed – so Isis and al-Qaeda are unlikely to be at the top of the list of suspects.

In April, French president Emmanuel Macron said he had no doubt that Moscow would try to disrupt the Olympic Games in some way.

Investigators will be focusing their attention on activists and known extremists, as well as any possible links to the Kremlin.

The announcement by the Paris prosecutor’s office of the severe penalties for those responsible will be intended, as much as anything, as a deterrent to discourage anyone tempted to carry out any similar acts of sabotage.

Chris Bockman
Reporting from Toulouse

The rapid TGV rail service linking the south western cities of Toulouse and Bordeaux with Paris is one of the busiest in France. In fact, Bordeaux, nearly 600km from the capital, is just two hours away by fast train.

Today many passengers would have been planning to head from the capital to Bordeaux to reach the long popular sandy beaches nearby for their summer holidays, or further to Toulouse to change trains and continue their journeys to Barcelona and the Costa Brava.

Those plans have been wrecked - the rail company SNCF has just announced rapid train services from the capital have been cancelled until the afternoon at the earliest impacting at least 250,000 travellers today alone.

The SNCF says the other highly important service between Paris and Lyon is running normally after the authorities prevented an attempted sabotage on that line too.

As we've been reporting, three high-speed lines (Atlantique, Nord and Est) of the TGV network have been affected by the disruptions.

On the map below you can also see the locations of the attacks - successful and foiled - that have disrupted the rail lines.

A little more from Eurostar's statement now.

The high-speed train operator says: "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 26 July.

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

"Eurostar expects this situation will last until Monday morning."

Customers can cancel free of charge or be refunded, Eurostar says, and can also modify their journeys for free.

They reiterate that customers are encouraged to postpone trips if possible.

Image source, Getty Images

We've just had a fresh update from Eurostar, which says it will be cancelling one in four of its trains between across its entire network today.

This "will also be the case" for Saturday and Sunday, Eurostar says, adding it expects the disruption to last until Monday morning.

"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," a spokesman says.

Lana Lam
Live reporter

One of the first affected London-Paris Eurostar trains arrived at Gare du Nord station a short time ago.

Megan Murphy, 50, tells the BBC it was "crowded but manageable".

The former journalist says her train was 90 minutes late, and stopped briefly in Lille so the train could switch to a different track.

“It is worrying how much more delayed the later trains will be,” she says. “Definitely not a good situation.”

After arriving, she posted on X: "Now let’s go see some boats, athletes, fireworks and Celine Dion!!"

• If you're travelling on Eurostar today, find out what you need to know here

Image source, Paris prosecutor's office

As we've been reporting, the Paris prosecutor's office has opened an investigation into "deliberate damage" caused to SNCF sites and harm to "fundamental national interests" after rail sabotage.

The body says the investigations surround the actions overnight.