Paris terror police investigate unexploded ordnance left on rail network

French authorities are analysing unexploded ordnance and incendiary devices to track down the perpetrators of a coordinated series of arson attacks that paralysed the rail network ahead of the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games on Friday.

Security forces found several devices in the Yonne region, between Paris and Lyon, left by two men who were interrupted by railway workers.

Investigators are also examining four unexploded devices found on May 8, the day the Olympic flame arrived in Marseille, on the high-speed rail line connecting Aix-en-Provence and Marseille. No link to Friday’s attack has yet been confirmed.

People are standing at a crowded train station — Confused passengers wait at the Gare du Nord in Paris on Friday – Ritchie B Tongo/Shutterstock

The investigation involves counter-terrorism police officers who are testing samples taken from three burnt and damaged switch boxes. They hope to find fingerprints of the attackers.

Early on Friday morning, there was a massive and coordinated sabotage of high-speed rail lines, destroying most of the lines connecting northern, eastern and western France.

According to French state rail operator SNCF, saboteurs set fire to pipes containing signal cables, causing damage that will now require painstaking repair, cable by cable.

The sabotage was a “planned, calculated and coordinated attack,” said Jean-Pierre Farandou, CEO of SNCF.

The minister is surrounded by a crowd of reporters — Patrice Vergriete, Deputy Minister of Transport, meets with the press on Friday – Thibaud Moritz/AFP

Gabriel Attal, the French prime minister, echoed those words, calling the attacks “prepared and coordinated.”

The attacks came at one of France’s busiest travel times, on the opening day of the Paris Olympics. Travel disruptions that began Friday were expected to last through the weekend.

Three of France’s 10 high-speed trains on the routes affected by the attacks are expected to be cancelled on Saturday.

Flotilla in the port of Marseille with fireworks and smoke bombs in the tricolour colours being launched — The Olympic flame will arrive in Marseille in May – Sylvain Thomas/Getty

However, SNCF said passengers who had not received any messages about changes or delays could expect to board and depart as planned.

One in four Eurostar trains was also cancelled for the weekend. Trains to and from Paris ran the “classic route” instead of the high-speed route, adding around 90 minutes to journey times.

Eurostar has also asked travellers to consider postponing their journeys. Around 800,000 passengers are expected to be affected by Sunday.

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