Investigation underway into attack on the high-speed train network that disrupted the busiest lines on the opening day of the Paris Olympics.
France’s high-speed TGV rail service should return to normal on Monday, the government and rail operator said, a day after sabotaged signal stations and cables caused widespread chaos hours before the opening of the Paris Olympics.
“A complete return to normality is expected on Monday,” Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete told journalists on Saturday.
Vergriete said security on the network has been beefed up, with 250 employees and 50 surveillance drones deployed alongside police helicopters.
The attacks have raised security concerns as the French capital hosts the world’s biggest sporting event. Although an investigation is ongoing, authorities have not identified the perpetrators.
“Who is responsible? Either it is from within, or it was ordered from abroad, it is too early to say,” Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told France 2 television.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the widespread disruption.
Railway company SNCF said it had made progress in partially restoring services. But there were widespread delays and cancellations.
SNCF said its agents worked overnight in adverse weather conditions to improve traffic from the north, east and west to Paris. On Saturday morning, normal service resumed on the eastbound high-speed line.
“On high-speed lines in the north, Brittany and southwest, seven out of 10 trains will run on average with delays of one to two hours,” said the SNCF.
Despite the disruptions, the SNCF said all transport for Olympic teams and accredited personnel will continue as planned.
The coordinated attacks carried out in the early hours of Friday resulted in fiber optic cables cut and burned along the tracks that transmit safety information to train drivers.
The attacks were well prepared and carried out by the same organization, a source close to the investigation told the AFP news agency.
The SNCF estimated that around 250,000 passengers were affected on Friday.
Many travelers were on their way to Paris for the start of the Olympics, while others were hoping to travel in the opposite direction to start their summer vacation.
This story originally appeared on Aljazeera.com read the full story
