Paris train lines partially restored after Olympic sabotage

PARIS — SNCF said Saturday it had made progress in partially restoring high-speed train service after acts of sabotage disrupted three main lines ahead of Friday night’s Olympic opening ceremony on the Seine.

SNCF said its staff had worked all night, despite unfavourable weather conditions, to improve TGV traffic from the north, east and west to Paris. On Saturday morning, traffic had resumed normally on the LGV Est.

“On the LGV Nord, Bretagne and Sud-Ouest, seven out of ten trains on average will run one to two hours late,” specifies the SNCF.

The company added that traffic will continue to be disrupted on the northern route on Sunday, but that conditions should improve on the Atlantic route for weekend returns. Customers are being contacted by text message and email to confirm the running of their trains.

Despite the disruptions, SNCF has indicated that all transport of Olympic teams and accredited personnel will continue as planned.

The sabotage incidents have raised concerns about security in Paris, where the Olympics are being held. French authorities are actively investigating the incident, but say no suspects have been identified or apprehended so far.