Paris Olympics in chaos as rail networks PARALYSED by co-ordinated arson attacks and airport shut by ‘bomb threat’

THE Olympics has been plunged into chaos with French rail networks paralysed by arson attacks and a major airport evacuated earlier.

A massive wave of "sabotage" on public transport in the last 24 hours has rocked Paris with just hours to go before the opening ceremony on the River Seine.

High speed rail services have been cancelled following the "coordinated acts of malice" - bringing chaos to nearly a million fans, tourists, and athletes in the French capital.

Two trains carrying athletes on the Atlantic line have also reportedly been affected the attacks.

Crowds of travellers have formed at major Paris stations such as Gare Montparnasse, with one Parisian saying it was a "nightmare".

A French railway operator told all passengers to postpone their trips and avoid going to stations.

A security expert has speculated Vladimir Putin could be behind the anarchy, while the Israelis have claimed it is the Iranians.

US intelligence officials have said the culprits could likely be anarchists or extreme leftists, according to NBC.

Eurostar trains between London and Paris have also been badly affected - with thousands of Brits being told to not travel today.

One in four journeys will be cancelled on Friday with a similar number begin axed over the weekend, the company announced.

The operator said it was facing issues with its overhead power supply in France following the attacks.

Brits who do decide to make the trip from St Pancras will face an extra hour of travel time with their train having to take a longer route.

A whopping 800,000 people passengers are set to be affected across the weekend with 250,000 set to be hit today.

French media cited sources describing the railway attack as a "coordinated" and "studied sabotage" on strategic points of the network.

The government is yet to speak on the perpetrators but say it wasn't a cyber attack.

The rail operator said fires were set in pipes carrying crucial cables used for signalling and images posted to social media showed burnt cabling, the New York Times reported.

The repair will be arduous and need to be "cable by cable" with workers and police already inspecting sites hit.

Over at the Basel-Mulhouse airport in Saint-Louis passengers were forced to wait outside after "security fears".

Cops confirmed a a bomb scare was behind the evacuation, say Reuters.

On its website, Basel-Mulhouse EuroAirport had said: "For safety reasons, the terminal had to be evacuated and is currently closed."

Air France also said its flights were grounded due to the threat.

Pictures circulating on social media show travellers waiting outside the airport clutching onto their luggage.

The airport has since reopened with flights slowly set to resume but huge waits are expected in the coming hours.

According to Reuters, an air traffic controller said it was the seventh security alert since last October.

France was already on high alert as just hours earlier the pandemonium on the railways took place.

Within moments of the first attack, French intelligence services were mobilised to protect against further incidents with extra police being deployed across the capital's train stations.

The Games' creative directors Thomas Jolly and Thierry Reboul were also summoned away from a press conference to attend an emergency meeting this morning.

Insiders have also told worried fans no changes have been made to the opening ceremony despite the ordeals.

Prime Minister Gabriel Attal posted on social media saying there would be "massive and serious" consequences to the attacks.

He wrote: "I am thinking of all the French people, all the families, who were getting ready to go on vacation.

I share their anger and salute their patience, their understanding and the civic-mindedness they are showing

Gabriel AttalPrime Minister

"I share their anger and salute their patience, their understanding and the civic-mindedness they are showing."

He later revealed saboteurs responsible for the attacks on French railway lines “knew where to hit” and that they had “knowledge of the network”.

“What we know, what we can see is that this operation has been planned, coordinated, that key points have been targeted which shows a kind of knowledge of the [train] network."

Sports Minister Amlie Ouda-Castera said authorities are working to figure out if athletes and delegations attending the opening ceremony are set to be affected.

French Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete announced the attacks this morning saying there was a series of "coordinated malicious acts" on the network.

The high speed train system covers the whole of France and will be a crucial network for Olympics fans attending the games.

A large number of trains have been cancelled, right as 300,000 spectators were expected to attend the opening ceremony tonight.

It's a blot on the day of the Olympics opening ceremony and above all, I have no fallback solution. In short, it's a nightmare

CharlesGare Montparnasse

The attacks have hit lines operated by France's state-owned rail operator SNCF.

The first blaze was detected early on Friday morning near tracks a Courtalain, in the Eure-et-Loir department.

It caused the interruption of traffic on the hugely busy Atlantique high-speed line.

SNCF said a "malicious act" on the high-speed line between Lille and Paris, in the northern Arras sector.

TGV Inoui and Ouigo trains were diverted to conventional lines, causing cancellations and far longer journey times.

A spokesman for SNCF  said it was the victim of "a massive arson attack to paralyse the TGV network".

He said the disruption should "last at least the whole weekend", and would have a knock-on effect across the network.

Saboteurs hit Courtalain on the Atlantic high-speed line; Croisilles on the Northern high-speed line; and Pagny-sur-Moselle on the East high-speed line.

One attack on the Southeast line was stopped by maintenance workers who scared the group of people off, the Ministry of Transport said.

The Paris prosecutor has opened a criminal investigation with whoever is responsible facing up to 20 years in jail and a 300,000 Euro fines.

One attack on the South East line was stopped by maintenance workers who scared the group of people off, the Ministry of Transport said.

Charles, 41, arrived at 8am at Gare Montparnasse for a train to Bordeaux at 10am.

He told Le Parisien: "I planned everything ahead because of the Olympics. I'm loaded down with all my daughter's presents, I have to meet her in Charente for her birthday.

"It's a blot on the day of the Olympics opening ceremony and above all, I have no fallback solution. In short, it's a nightmare."

Two bomb threats have also hit France this morning.

Basel-Mulhouse airport, near the Swiss border, was evacuated earlier after a suspected bomb threat plunged the aviation hub into a frenzy.

The iconic Champs-Elysees was also been closed down and a cordon put up after a suspicious package was found.

Olympic organisers have long feared acts of sabotage targeting the multi-billion pounds games, and a vast security operation costing £350million has unfolded in Paris to try and counter threats.

The largest peacetime deployment of forces in France’s history involves some 75,000 soldiers, police and private security agents.

"We’re focused and we’re ready," said General Lionel Catar, one of the military planners before the showpiece opening.

The priority is to protect some 80,000 competitors as they progress down the River Seine in dozens of barges, in front of some 350,000 spectators, and a TV audience of more than a billion.

Gérald Darmanin, France’s Interior Ministry, said "the terrorist threat remains high" and that "a high level of vigilance" remains essential.