LIVE. Attack on SNCF: coordinated sabotage, a serious lead under investigation

“LIVE. Attack against SNCF: sabotage coordinated, a serious lead for study”

After the massive attack on the SNCF network, a first lead seems to hold the rope for investigators. The far left could be involved, particularly in view of the modus operandi observed.

The essentials

• The SNCF was the victim of “several simultaneous malicious acts affecting the TGV Atlantique, Nord and Est lines” on the night of Thursday to Friday. It describes a “massive attack” aimed at paralyze part of the SNCF network.
• Significant disruptions, delays and cancellations are expected this Friday, July 26 and could “last at least the entire weekend,” warns the SNCF.
• The attack that hit the TGV line installations affected the travel of 800,000 customers over the entire weekend according to the CEO of SNCF.
• An investigation has been opened for damage and criminal association by the Paris prosecutor's office on charges of “damage to property of a nature to harming the fundamental interests of the nation”, “damage and attempted damage by dangerous means by an organized gang”, “attacks on an automated data processing system by an organized gang” and “criminal association with a view to committing these crimes and offences.
• According to the first elements of the investigation communicated by a security source to the newspaper Le Parisien, “the modus operandi of arson attacks on installations resembles that used by the far left in the past (…) a far left movement is said to be responsible for these acts, with possible internal complicity from the SNCF” we learn.

Live

15:31 – French athletes çais "not affectedés" by disturbances à the SNCF

This Friday, the president of the French Olympic Committee, David Lappartient, indicated that French athletes had not been “affected” by the disruptions linked to the massive attack on the SNCF TGV network. “A lot of athletes have already arrived,” he explained. So, ” to my knowledge I have no elements of athletes who have been blocked by this. “Our team is not affected by these blockages, which we condemn,” he concludes.

15:13 – The SNCF Réseau teams “at work”

“Our teams are working hard to repair the damage caused by the arson attacks in the signaling stations of the affected high-speed lines. The cables in each electrical cabinet are being replaced and tested one by one,” SNCF Réseau said on X. A video of several agents at the Courtalain station repairing the cables was also released. published on the social network.

15:01 – How to follow the evolution of SNCF traffic ?

This Friday, July 26, many TGV and Ouigo trains are delayed or canceled due to a nationwide attack on SNCF main lines. Which trains are delayed or canceled? Which train is still running? To find out everything in real time, you can consult now presents our dedicated live, below: 

14:44 – What impact on the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games ?< /h3>

As a large number of travelers plan to converge on the capital this Friday for the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, “all customers will be informed by SMS of the movement of their trains,” indicates the SNCF group. All tickets will be “refundable.” For his part, the president of the Committee International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said he had “full confidence in the authorities.” “All measures are being taken and the French authorities are being assisted by 180 other intelligence services around the world,” he added in the columns of France Info.

14:24 – The prefect of Saône-et-Loire strengthens security on the LGV-Est in the department

In a press release, the prefect of Saône-et-Loire, Yves Séguy, indicated that he had taken several measures to increase surveillance of the entire LGV-Est network that crosses the department. “Physical police and gendarmerie patrols are deployed to ensure the security of sensitive sites. In addition, aerial surveillance is provided by the gendarmerie helicopter as well as by drones from the departmental fire and rescue service.” can we read.

14:15 – 25% of Paris-London trains cancelled

25% of Eurostar trains between Paris and London will be cancelled this Friday, July 26, following a series of acts of sabotage on the SNCF TGV network, the company announced Franco-British with the AFP.

14:13 – "The work will probably take the day"

“The work will probably take the day and maybe longer”, regarding “the return to normal, I can't tell you” indicated this Friday early afternoon, the director of the TGV Atlantique axis, Franck Dubourdieu during a point from the Gare Montparnasse. “We need to find all the experts capable of repairing, the parts and the tools (…)”We need to find a way to run TER and TGV trains on lines not designed for it. The major challenge is to inform customers about traffic,” he continues.

14:06 – “No impact on the opening ceremony” of the Olympic Games, assures Anne Hidalgo

Paris Mayor Hanne Hidalgo has assured that the massive attack on the SNCF will have “no impact on the opening ceremony” of the Paris Olympics. “It has no consequences on the transport network” in the Paris region. “It is sabotage,” she declared, however. after a meeting with the King of Spain Felipe VI.

13:57 – A “blow to the public service” regret the SNCF unions

In a press release, the SNCF unions unanimously condemned a “blow to the public service” following the numerous acts of sabotage and malicious acts on the SNCF TGV network last night, causing disruptions for more than 800,000 users across the through the weekend.

"The union federations CGT Cheminots, UNSA-Ferroviaire, SUD-Rail and CFDT Cheminots condemn this blow. to the SNCF public service and provide all their support to the railway workers mobilized to enable the re-establishment of rail traffic as quickly as possible, as well as to the railway workers mobilized in the stations and on trains to inform and guide heavily impacted users can we read in a press release.

13:42 – A previous sabotage on the South line -Est last May

Although the TGV South-East line was spared from sabotage thanks to the intervention of railway agents, an act of vandalism affected the line last May. An incendiary device made up of bottles filled with petrol, equipped with a wick to light the whole thing, was found on the line connecting Aix and Marseille on May 8, when the flame arrived in Marseille, reports BFMTV. An investigation was opened and entrusted to the anti-terrorism sub-directorate (Sdat), but no arrests were made.

13:33 – Traffic begins to resume at Montparnasse

“Traffic is starting to resume” announced the resigning Minister of Transport this Friday on the 1pm news on TF1: “”It was really the Atlantic line that was affected. We should see 1 in 3 trains running this afternoon”. Find out more about the disruptions in our dedicated article.

13:29 – “Not necessarily a link” between the SNCF attack and the Olympics

For the time being, “we don't necessarily find a link” between the SNCF attack and the Olympic opening ceremony “apart from the date” declared Patrice Vergriete. The ongoing investigation could provide more information on a possible link which nevertheless seems very probable.

13:23 – “No specific alert” before the sabotage against the SNCF

The authorities “were on alert in view of the organization of the Olympic Games and the opening ceremony scheduled for this Friday, July 26, but the government “had not had a specific alert before” the act of the SNCF saboteurs, said Patrice Vergriete, the resigning Minister of Transport, on the set of the 1 p.m. news on TF1. “We are on alert and have significantly increased vigilance” this Friday morning.

13:12 – Gabriel Attal remains “cautious” on the authors' profiles

Gabriel Attal leaves it to investigators to provide details on the circumstances of the attack and its perpetrators. If the trail of saboteurs from or close to ultra-left movements is considered, the resigning Prime Minister says he remains "cautious" à this stage of the investigation.

13:01 – Marine Le Pen accuses "the extr&ecirc ;me left"

According to investigators, some aspects of the SNCF saboteurs' modus operandi may be reminiscent of methods already used by far-left activists. And Marine Le Pen, leader of the far right, is jumping into this hypothesis by estimating on X that “for too many years, violence and sabotage against public property have become common modus operandi of the far-left movement”. It should be kept in mind that other leads are also being considered by investigators.

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SNCF was the victim of “several simultaneous malicious acts affecting the TGV Atlantique, Nord and Est lines” during the night from Thursday to Friday. “Deliberate fires were set to damage our facilities,” the railway company explained in a press release, which assured that teams “are already on site to carry out diagnostics and begin repairs.” But the SNCF also warns that the disruptions, numerous on the morning of Friday July 26, should “last at least the entire weekend”, the time to carry out the necessary repairs.

These disruptions affect SNCF traffic at a time when there are many travelers in the stations on this holiday weekend and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games are bringing a huge number of people to the station to get to the ceremony or to leave the capital. "We are diverting some trains on the classic line but we will have to cancel a large number of them. Our priority is customer care", adds the SNCF.

“I strongly condemn these criminal acts which will compromise the departures on holiday of many French people” reacted the Minister of Transport, Patrice Vergriete on X after the announcement of the SNCF on “massive attack” targeting it. The minister confirmed that the acts of vandalism “will seriously disrupt traffic until this weekend”. “A big thank you to the “SNCF teams, on deck to restore traffic conditions as quickly as possible” he added.

Delays and cancellations at Montparnasse station

Train traffic heading west is disrupted this Friday morning: several trains to Bordeaux, Toulouse and Saint-Malo are more than two hours late. SNCF has announced that it will adapt traffic and drastically reduce the number of trains, but without interrupting traffic. The railway company has confirmed that two trains per hour will leave for Aquitaine, compared to three trains per hour for Brittany and the Pays de la Loire. The X Rémi Train Centre Val de Loire account explains that '"a fire near the tracks in the Courtalain sector is disrupting TGV traffic on the Paris Tours and Paris Le Mans lines".

More broadly, disruptions are to be expected in the direction of the Grand Ouest, the North and the East. Only the South-East line has been spared, because a malicious act has been foiled according to the SNCF.