joining me now is hugh schofield at montparnasse train station. at montparnasse train station, and tomrom st pancras station. there have been varying degrees of disruption. how important it is today in terms of travel? well, there was _ today in terms of travel? well, there was massive _ today in terms of travel? well, there was massive disruption l today in terms of travel? well, i there was massive disruption this morning here at montparnasse, where i am now, but the station is right below me. no trains at all this morning on the tgv network. it had to completely set down for safety reasons. the same is true on the eastern and northern branch. gradually through the day, things have improved, and this evening, they're saying that tomorrow, two out of three trains will run out of montparnasse and four out of five will be running out of the tgt network. by the weekend, everyone will be at their destination. it is a big weekend, notjust because of their olympics — of course, it's huge because of the olympics. people were trying to get up here over the weekend. but also because it's a hol

this is the scene at gare montparnasse, really busy hub.round an hour and a half longer because of trains needing to be diverted, they said several trains have been cancelled. they said a status update on eurostar site warns passengers, we advise you to postpone your trip, your trainer is likely to be delayed because of infrastructure issues. they said, because of coordinated acts of malice in france affecting the high—speed line between paris and lille, trains are being diverted today. this extends the journey time by an hour and a half. several trains have been cancelled. they said, the eurostar teams are fully mobilised in stations and call centres and on board to ensure all passengers are informed and can reach their destinations. they said, customers are being informed by e—mail, message and eurostar. customers can cancel free of charge, or be refunded. but they are advising people to postpone trips because of the severe delays and obviously this will impact so many people, tens of thousands of people travelling to paris. we believe mo

well, it is severe, | particularly here at montparnasse.here to brittany and the south west. it has been very, very badly affected. there are no trains running on the tgv lines as of now and there is no prospect of the trains resuming for at least another hour. there are still people arriving here you have not heard the news on the scene on the platform is one of misery. lots of people sitting around looking extremely groom just gone because the holidays had been disrupted. you have to remember this certainly is a big day for arrivals for the olympics. it is also probably an even bigger day for departures here and france. it is the start of the school holiday for a lot of people or the summer holiday for a lot of people. it is a day when tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands are on the move anyway and france to go to the holidays. and that has been totally wrecked for a number of people. but of course, the symbolism of it all is clear to everyone. i don't think anyone doubts this was arranged because it was on the morning of the olympic

a rail lines including those passing through montparnasse and paris has been severely effected. international rail lines have also suffered cancellations and delays, including services between france and germany. almost 800000 people are affected repairs are underway by an official state restrictions could last throughout the weekend. the olympic games are set to make history with the opening ceremony taking place outdoors instead of in a stadium. for more on this developing story i'm joint now by our correspondence lisa lewis and paris and rosie verger in brussels. lisa, let's start with you. what more do we know about this incident so far? a while we understand that the authorities are looking into what happened last night. the section that is in charge of organized crime at the powers prosecutor's office has now been charged with the case. and they have opened inquiries for inquiries for damage to property in an organized group in with the attend to jeopardize the intent the, the interest of the nation. these charges can be punished with, you know, up to 20 years in prison, a

a thought of the se rate lines, including those passing through montparnasse, in the capital, have been severely affected, the route to their stop. the fronts menu has been those repairs on the very beneficial to restrictions. good last to out the weekend. the games are set to make history with the opening ceremony taking place outdoors, instead of in a stadium. let's get more from carlos bonded liza louise standing by in progress these up full high speed trained routes and fonts have been vandalized overnight. what more can you tell us about that? while the authorities are now taking off a coordinated attack and arson is involved apparently of these acts of several dock example. tash as calling them have taken place between one and 5 o'clock in the morning last night, and it's always we not to establish yet that there is a link to the olympic games. but at heart, it's hard to see that as a coincidence, as you said with have words are ongoing, as we speak about this could take a several days and 1st train from the moved on a train station, for example, where the trade service is largely

this is the scene outside the montparnasse station, where we have been told that trains will not be runninghe studio. we time. so we conway “oins me in the studio. ~ ~' ., time. so we conway “oins me in the studio. ~ ~ ., ., studio. we know that three high-speed _ studio. we know that three high-speed lines _ studio. we know that three high-speed lines in - studio. we know that three high-speed lines in france | studio. we know that three - high-speed lines in france have been high—speed lines in france have been affected, the atlantic, northern and eastern lines. what that has led to some of those train services being cancelled, or they have moved trains of those high—speed lines onto what they call their classic lines, so slower lines, which is adding sncf are saying another hour and i half to journeys. are saying another hour and i half tojourneys. that are saying another hour and i half to journeys. that is the impact that we know about. what seems to be coming across at the moment is how long this could all take to return to normal. the president of sncf said that this is going to have

of deliberate arson , traffic is paralyzed on three lines at once, difficulties are observed at the montparnasseations. the authorities recommended that passengers postpone their trips and not visit stations affected by the transport collapse, and those who had already purchased tickets were promised a refund. they promise to restore high-speed train traffic in full no earlier than monday. create favorable conditions for families with children in the regions, convert. attention to infrastructure, cultural and tourism facilities, was proposed by deputy chairman of the state duma irina yarovai during a meeting of the presidium of the council of legislators on the issue of developing a strategy for spatial development of russia. she emphasized that it is necessary to pay attention to security issues. also , first vice speaker of the federation council andrei yatskin proposed including economic aspects among the priority tasks in the strategy. among them are measures for the development of small towns in rural areas. spatial development should include strengthening the economic and infrastructural c

the opening ceremony of the paris olympics authorities, a rail lines including those passing through montparnasse and paris, have been severely affected. save the coordinate of the tax are also causing cancellations and delays to services, including those between france and germany. almost 800000 passengers are affected repairs are under way, but officials say the restrictions could last throughout the weekend. the acts of sabotage expos, frances vulnerability, despite the tight security protocol surrounding the mega sporting events and the attacks are also affecting travelers in brussels and neighboring belgium. my niece is crying in the simmons tomorrow. so we've got to watch her push a woodman place with the simmons when it's um yeah. and we've got family there already. so we're trying to get there. but you know, we're okay with the discover. the medium i bore on that, well, we don't have any choice. we'll just have to wait at our original train from amsterdam, the brussels got cancelled at 2 o'clock. they allowed us, however, euro star to get the 11 o'clock. so we should be able to get out of

commuter lou flipo was caught in the chaos with her two young children, stuck in montparnasse train station for hours. she says she's very stressed and scared. so far no claim of responsibility tonight. but it comes after french authorities say they'd already foiled several plots to disrupt the summer games. authorities closing 90 miles of airspace over paris for the opening ceremony, which for the first time ever took place outside a stadium along the river seine. 75,000 security personnel on guard, as a flotilla of 85 boats carried thousands of athletes nearly four miles west down the river. in torrential rain, they sailed past iconic landmarks including notre dame cathedral, the louvre, and finally the eiffel tower. >> whit: james longman joining us now from paris. and james, i want to go back to that massive attack on the french rail system. how long could these travel disruptions last? >> reporter: yeah, whit, this is really causing major issues. and it's likely to go through the weekend. huge numbers of engineers are now working night and day to get those rail tracks fixed. it looks l

commuter lou flipo was caught in the chaos with her two young children, stuck in montparnasse train station for hours. she says she's very stressed and scared. so far no claim of responsibility tonight. but it comes after french authorities say they already foiled several plots to disrupt the summer games. authorities closing 90 miles of airspace over paris for the opening ceremony, which for the first time ever took place outside a stadium along the river seine. 75,000 security personnel on guard as a flotilla of 85 boats carried thousands of athletes nearly four miles west down the river. in torrential rain they sailed past iconic landmarks including notre dame cathedral, the louvre, and finally the eiffel tower. >> whit: james longman joining us now from paris. and james, i want to go back to that massive attack on the french rail system. how long could these travel disruptions last? >> reporter: yeah, whit, this is really causing major issues. it's likely to go through the weekend. huge numbers of engineers are now working night and day to get those rail tracks fixed. it looks like disr

at the montparnasse station in paris, the tgv atlantique director, franck duburdieu, has given this updatenting for us that this _ it is extremely disappointing for us that this should happen now. the teams _ that this should happen now. the teams are — that this should happen now. the teams are particularly under pressure, but our priority is to make — pressure, but our priority is to make sure _ pressure, but our priority is to make sure that everything gets back to normal_ make sure that everything gets back to normal as soon as possible, and make _ to normal as soon as possible, and make sure — to normal as soon as possible, and make sure that first priority to get people _ make sure that first priority to get pe0pte to — make sure that first priority to get people to their destinations is realised~ _ people to their destinations is realised. no entry whatsoever, and what we _ realised. no entry whatsoever, and what we are — realised. no entry whatsoever, and what we are doing is to make sure we are taking _ what we are doing is to make sure we are taking care of everybody who was shoc

stories of these malicious attacks on the railway lines were seeing pictures emerging from paris mom montparnasse station with thousands of people stranded. the authorities saying, as you mentioned, these delays likely to impact the next couple of days here in paris and across from and this is an opening ceremonies, particularly here in paris that they've said wouldn't they wanted to be to bring in the people. and obviously with three hundred thousand spectators are expected to line the banks of the river seine. we await to see what disruption that news this morning we'll have and will bring and then of course, it is raining. this certainly wasn't on the agenda. the word from this pause ministry is that they will not let it affect what they hope to be a spectacular opening ceremony. they say, we will just have to sing in the rain. one of the big questions is who will it be singing in the rain? i don't know whether you have seen celine dion recently. i haven't managed to set eyes on here in paris, but lots of suggestions that she and lady gaga will be performing at this unique, never seen before.

that led to queues at several stations this morning, including montparnasse and gardena. the company is warning the situation could last all weekend while repairs are conducted. the french transport minister has condemned what he called criminal actions. in other news, the family at the centre of a video that appears to show a greater manchester police officer kicking a suspect in the head, say they've been left deeply traumatised . left deeply traumatised. justice, no peace, no racist police. okay, hundreds of people were seen protesting outside mayor andy burnham's office, accusing greater manchester police of racism. it's after three officers were seriously injured as they attended to reports of an assault in the manchester airport car park, which happened before the event. seenin which happened before the event. seen in the video that included a female officer who suffered a broken nose. four men were arrested on suspicion of assault and affray, and the police watchdog has launched an investigation. retired scotland yard detective mike neville told gb news that those

there are huge queues forming at montparnasse as well.aris, as well as many of them also being delayed. so this is going to have a huge, huge impact across the board . it's the last thing the board. it's the last thing that the french olympic committee would have wanted with ahead of the opening ceremony. taking place here tonight, but this is just one blip so far. who knows how many will see before the olympic ceremony starts at 630 french time tonight, but it's not all doom and gloom. of course. this is the olympics. after all. it's an incredible show. it's a spectacular performance they're expecting to see tonight. those 10,500 athletes will make their way down the scene here to the eiffel tower. and the trocadero, where the olympics will officially be launched. you can hear sirens here behind me. the security is incredibly tight , security is incredibly tight, obviously, ahead of tonight's olympic ceremony. but looking ahead even of that, tomorrow will be an incredible day as things really get into the swing team gb will be in action.