French rail operator SNCF said on Sunday that repairs to damaged high-speed lines had been completed, two days after the network was targeted by sabotage just hours before the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games.
The coordinated attack, which took place from Thursday into Friday, caused major disruption to traffic on much of the country’s rail network, with three of the country’s four main high-speed train lines damaged by fire. An attack on a fourth line failed, authorities said.
“Thanks to the exceptional mobilization of our agents, who have worked tirelessly since Friday morning, repair work has now been completed on all the high-speed lines affected by the acts of sabotage,” SNCF said, adding that all safety tests “were successful and the lines are now usable.”
No suspects have yet been identified in the attack and an investigation is ongoing. Eurostar, which runs international services from Paris and Lille to destinations including London and Brussels, said it would operate 80% of its scheduled trains on Sunday, with a return to full service on Monday.
The coordinated attacks on the French rail network affected around 800,000 passengers over the weekend and just hours before the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games on Friday night.
Asked about the possibility that Russia was behind the attack, Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete told the Financial Times that “all the signs show that this is not a case of official foreign interference”.
Source: www.jornaldenegocios.pt
