By V.E.K.Madhushani, Jadetimes News
Transportation Strikes and Weather Woes Expected to Impact Travel Plans
Three out of ten French high speed trains will be canceled on Saturday due to a series of "co ordinated" arson attacks. National rail company SNCF announced that services that do run will be delayed by up to two hours on three major lines running in and out of Paris.
Eurostar passengers also face continued disruption on Saturday, with a quarter of international trains canceled during the opening weekend of the Olympic Games. French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal stated that security forces are searching for the "saboteurs" responsible after rail networks were paralyzed on Friday.
There has been no claim of responsibility for the damage, according to SNCF. The "strategic" vandalism involved setting cabling boxes at junctions on the North, Brittany, and South West lines alight just hours before the Olympics opening ceremony in the capital. Saboteurs cut and set fire to specialized fiber optic cables essential for the safe functioning of the rail network, government officials reported.
A source linked to the investigation told AFP news agency that the operation was "well-prepared" and organized by "a single structure." Rail workers foiled an attempt to destroy safety equipment on a fourth line.
"At this stage, traffic will remain disrupted on Sunday on the North axis and should improve on the Atlantic axis for weekend returns," a spokesman for the rail network said on Saturday morning. SNCF estimated that about 250,000 passengers were affected on Friday, while junior transport minister Patrice Vergriete said as many as 800,000 could be impacted over three days.
Eurostar, which runs international services from London to Paris and uses a high speed line in France, announced that one in four of its trains would not run over the weekend. Travelers have been advised to postpone their journeys, with disruption expected to last until Monday.
Among Eurostar customers affected on Friday was Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who had planned to travel to the Games' opening ceremony via train but was forced to fly instead.
