A few hours before the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, part of France's rail network was paralyzed due to a "massive cyberattack", which disrupted service to hundreds of thousands of passengers.
Prime Minister Gabriel Attal announced that agencies have been mobilized to identify the suspects, warning in a post on X that "the consequences for the railway network are enormous and serious."
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France's national rail network, SNCF, said in a press release that a series of "coordinated" attacks caused damage to specific facilities and services, while another "malicious act" prevented the operation of the LGV Sud-Est line, which connects Paris to Lyon.
Many routes were cancelled, with passengers warned to postpone their travel plans and "not visit the station".
SNCF President and CEO Jean-Pierre Farandou told reporters that fiber optic cables in at least three locations were set on fire, connecting them to signal boxes and other railway infrastructure.
The attacks appeared to be coordinated with the aim of causing massive disruption to the country's rail network.
The Paris prosecutor's office announced in a press release that it has opened an investigation into charges that include damage to property that could endanger the fundamental interests of the nation. Penalties for these charges can reach up to 15 years in prison and a fine of 225,000 euros (about $244,200).
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French Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete also visited X, where he said “coordinated malicious actions” were targeting several railway lines, causing major disruptions to traffic until this weekend. In statements broadcast by French television network BFMTV, Patrice Vergriete noted that the attacks appeared to be taking place simultaneously and that they bore evidence of a deliberate attack. However, it was not clear who might be behind the attacks.
Passenger Maëliss Davy, 23, said she was planning to travel from Paris to Nantes for a friend's birthday on Saturday, but was surprised when she received a message from the SNCF app informing her that her train had been delayed due to "an act of vandalism." Ultimately, her train was canceled altogether. Speaking to NBC News via X, Davy said, "Fortunately, I managed to book a train for tomorrow morning at a station on the outskirts of Paris." However, she added that the Gare Montparnasse train station was packed with tired and quite impatient passengers, whose travel plans had also been disrupted.
Richard Engel, chief correspondent for NBC News, witnessed the chaos at Gare Montparnasse. A crowd of passengers appeared calm but wanted to be informed about delays to their journeys.
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SNCF said it was working to restore services after the incident, and urged passengers to postpone their travel plans and “not visit the station.” It also confirmed that all tickets would be available for exchange and refund, while passengers would be kept informed of developments via SMS.
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SNFC trains were seen arriving and departing regularly with the arrival/departure monitors filled with lines "on time".
Source: nbcnews
