French rail network restored after sabotage of Olympic trips

France’s high-speed train network returned to normal operations on Monday, three days after sabotage attacks significantly disrupted traffic ahead of the Olympic Games opening ceremony, the transport minister said, according to press reports on Monday.

According to local media, Patrice Vergriete confirmed that the coordinated arson attacks on Friday morning targeted key points of the railway infrastructure.

The incidents raised concerns because they occurred just before the grand opening.

However, authorities have not yet determined who the perpetrators are or whether the timing was intended to disrupt the event.

Metro disruptions in Paris

There were also disruptions to metro traffic in Paris, where 16 million tourists are expected to visit during the Olympic Games.

According to an announcement on X of the 8th Paris metro line, services at the Opera station were disrupted by police intervention. The reason for the intervention was not disclosed.

The line is used by visitors and tourists who want to attend Olympic events.

According to France Bleu, a network of local and regional radio stations in France, services on the Paris Metro line 13, which connects Paris to the suburb of Saint-Denis, were suspended between 12:52 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. local time (10:52-12:30 GMT) due to a serious passenger accident.

Six subway cars were stuck in tunnels and passengers in three of the cars got out and walked along the subway tracks to the nearest station.