One of the biggest mainline railway stations in France was put out of action by suspected arsonists who destroyed 48 power cables on Tuesday.
The alarm was first raised at the Gare de l’Est (East Station) in Paris shortly before 8.30am on Tuesday when a fire was detected.
A spokesman for SNCF, France’s rail officer, said: ‘”ccording to early findings, we can say this was a deliberate blaze. Some 48 electric cables were badly damaged, leading to the shutdown of the station.’
It was expected to be closed for most of the morning, causing chaos for thousands of rail passengers.
The spokesman said a full criminal enquiry had been launched, with judicial police gathering evidence.
The station, which is next door to the Paris-London Eurostar hub, is used for journeys across Europe, as well as by local commuters.
More than 40 million people a year use Gare de l’Est, according to SNCF figures.
The devasting arson comes at a time of heightened industrial tension in France, as millions oppose government plans to reform pensions.
Beyond increasing the retirement age from 62 to 64 by 2030, President Emmanuel Macron’s government wants to get rid of so-called ‘special’ retirement regimes.
These allow privileged groups, including some rail workers at the government-owned SNCF, to retire in their 50s on generous packages.
