French rail network attacked ahead of the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games

French railway company SNCF was the victim Friday of a "massive attack" to "paralyze" its high-speed train network, affecting 800,000 travelers, the company told AFP, just hours before the opening of the Paris Olympics.

The SNCF "was the victim tonight of several malicious, simultaneous acts affecting the Atlantic, North and East high-speed lines," the rail group said in a statement, in which it specified that "willful fires were set to damage [its] installations."

As a result, the movement of high-speed trains (TGV, for its French acronym) on those three lines was "greatly disrupted."

The attacks, which occurred hours before the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, affected 800,000 travelers, SNCF CEO Jean-Pierre Farandou said in a press conference.

As a source close to the case told AFP, it is a coordinated "sabotage," a series of acts committed in a "concerted" manner.

"We are diverting some trains to the classic line, but we will have to cancel a good number" of them, the SNCF said. The southeast high-speed line, on the other hand, was not affected, the group specified.

The company said teams were deployed to verify the problems and "begin repairs" but that the situation could drag on "at least all weekend."

Transport Minister Delegate Patrice Vergriete claimed this was a "scandalous criminal act" that will have "strong consequences" on rail traffic, affecting half of trains to the north, east and Brittany (in the west of the country) and a quarter to the Bordeaux region in the southwest.

"All customers will be informed by SMS of the running of their trains," said the SNCF, which advised "all travelers to postpone their journey and not to go to the station." Tickets may be exchanged or refunded.

The attack also affected Eurostar trains from London and Brussels, the company announced on its website.