UK travel chaos as France train network hit by 'malicious' arson attacks before Olympics opening ceremony

Two Eurostar trains carrying athletes to the Olympics were stopped due to the series of “malicious acts” which paralysed the country’s train service, while Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer was forced to change his travel plans and fly to Paris for the opening ceremony as a result of the attacks.

Eurostar said one in four of its high speed trains would be cancelled on Friday and over the weekend.

Separately, an airport on the French-German-Swiss border, was evacuated and flights suspended on Friday morning following a bomb threat. EuroAirport resumed flights on Friday afternoon after the passenger terminal was cleared.

Queues formed at London’s St Pancras Station as trains, including Eurostar, were hit by what the national rail company SNCF called a series of co-ordinated arson attacks, although there was no immediate evidence of a link to the Games.

The opening ceremony is due to take place in Paris on Friday night.

The majority of Team GB athletes are arriving at the Games via Eurostar. However, the British Olympic Association confirmed only two athletes were scheduled to arrive on Friday, and had been subject to only minor delays.

A Downing Street spokeswoman said Sir Keir was meant to be travelling on the Eurostar to Paris ahead of the Olympics opening ceremony, but flew to France instead due to the the disruption and delays.

His spokeswoman said: “Obviously the situation is concerning, and like the statements you’ve seen from the French, it is also incredibly frustrating for people travelling to attend the Games and the Olympic ceremony.

“The Prime Minister would urge people to continue to follow the travel advice and the statements from the travel operators.” One man who spent £1,800 on Eurostar tickets to get to the Olympics said he is now considering flying or driving after trains keep getting cancelled.

Scott Wilkins, 47, booked a ticket on the 3.31pm train from St Pancras Station in November last year but discovered earlier on Friday that it was cancelled because of arson attacks that have disrupted the French rail network.

Determined to get to Paris to watch the rugby sevens finals on Saturday with his partner, Mr Wilkins said he had no option but to book business class tickets on the 4.31pm and 8.01pm services on Friday – meaning he will have spent £1,800 altogether.

However, after the 4.31pm was cancelled on Friday afternoon, the project manager said he is now considering flying or returning home to pick up his car and driving to make the games.

Mr Wilkins said: “Driving is an option. We’re thinking about driving because we’ve got the Eurotunnel.”

Eurostar told customers to cancel their trips on Friday if they could.

It said: “Due to co-ordinated malicious acts in France affecting the high-speed line between Paris and Lille, all high-speed trains going to and coming from Paris are being diverted via the classic line today, Friday July 26. This extends the journey time up to an hour and a half.

“Eurostar expects this situation will last until Monday morning. Today, Eurostar will cancel 25 per cent of its trains. It will also be the case on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28.

It added: “Eurostar’s teams are fully mobilised in stations, in the call centres, and onboard to ensure that all passengers are informed and can reach their destination.”

Routes between the UK and French capitals continued to operate, although on “classic” lines. Passengers have been told to expect journeys to be at least an hour longer.

Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, said: "These attacks on the French rail network are shocking, and anyone planning to travel to the Olympics this weekend will of course be deeply concerned about the knock on impact to their journey. "If your Eurostar service is cancelled or delayed by more than 60 minutes you will be eligible for a free ticket exchange or refund, and you'll also be able to claim compensation in the case of delays. In the event delays persist and you're stranded overnight, you will also be able to claim reasonable expenses for accommodation and food. "If you have tickets to watch the Games and end up missing an event due to the transport issues, it may be possible to claim against your insurance - either against ticket protection insurance if you took this out at the point of purchase, or your travel insurance, depending on the specifics of your policy."

SNCF said its Atlantic, North and East networks were damaged in the incidents, but that an attempted attack in the South-East was foiled.

The president of the SNCF group told French television that 800,000 customers have been affected across the rail network and added staff were working to repair the damage as quickly as possible. The rail company described the situation as a "massive attack aimed at paralysing the network". French transport minister Patrice Vergriete wrote in a post on X: “Co-ordinated malicious acts targeted several TGV lines last night and will seriously disrupt traffic until this weekend.”

He added: “I strongly condemn these criminal actions, which will compromise the departures on vacation of many French people. A big thank you to the #SNCF teams, on deck to restore traffic conditions as quickly as possible.”

Trains from London to Paris and Lille were being delayed by around an hour and a half, and several trains have been cancelled. Eurostar said all high-speed trains to and from Paris were being diverted to a slower line.

On Sunday, a Russian man, Kirill Gryaznov, was arrested at his flat in Paris accused of being a spy who was part of a plot to disrupt the Games.

Russia is officially barred from the Games due to its war in Ukraine, although just over a dozen athletes from the country are being allowed to compete as neutrals.

There was no immediate link between the incidents, which involved fires being laid across the tracks, and Russia or Belarus.