Paris: France’s Interior Minister, Gérald Darmanin, indicated on Saturday that foreign involvement could not be ruled out in the sabotage of signal stations and cables on the country’s high-speed rail network. The attacks, which occurred early Friday morning, caused significant travel disruptions on the opening day of the Olympic Games.
The sabotage affected key rail lines connecting Paris with cities including Lille, Bordeaux, and Strasbourg. Another attempt to disrupt the Paris-Marseille route was thwarted, according to the national rail operator, SNCF. No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks yet.
“Who is responsible? Either it’s from within, or it’s been ordered from abroad, it’s too early to say,” Darmanin told France 2 television. He further stated, “We have uncovered a certain number of elements which lead us to believe that we will know fairly quickly who is responsible.”
Initial investigations led two security sources to suspect leftist militants or environmental activists, but there is no concrete evidence linking them to the sabotage.
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Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete and SNCF Chief Jean-Pierre Farandou assured reporters on Saturday that the high-speed rail network would return to normal by Monday. They confirmed that transport arrangements for athletes and officials attending the Paris 2024 Olympics would be maintained.
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On Friday, 100,000 passengers were unable to board their trains, while an additional 150,000 faced delays but eventually reached their destinations, Vergriete reported. “There will still be disruptions tomorrow,” Vergriete noted. “From Monday, there is no need to worry.”
