The British Transport Department urged British tourists to do two things before starting their planned journeys to France in light of the chaos created in the country by the arson attacks.
The ministry said in a short message published on X: “We are in close contact with Eurostar and the French authorities regarding the disruption to the French rail network.
“If you’re planning to travel today, please check ahead before leaving and follow operator and FCDO travel advice.”
France’s high-speed rail network was hit by widespread “coordinated malicious acts” in the early hours of Friday, July 26, the country’s Transport Minister, Patrice Vergriete, said.
The multiple attacks targeted installations along the lines connecting Paris with major cities including Bordeaux and Lille, which were set on fire by arsonists.
Mr Vergriete said: “Coordinated malicious acts targeted several TGV lines last night and will seriously disrupt traffic until this weekend.
“I strongly condemn these criminal actions which will compromise the vacation departures of many French people. A big thank you to the #SNCF teams, on the bridge to restore traffic conditions as quickly as possible.”
The incident sparked major travel chaos across France, with some 800,000 people expected to have been hit.
SNCF, the state-owned railway operator in the country, expects the disruption to continue well into the weekend.
As noted by the British Transport Ministry, Eurostar journeys between London and Paris have also been impacted.
The organisation said a quarter of its trains will be cancelled on Friday and over the weekend, while other passengers heading to or from France could see their journey be extended by some 90 minutes as all high-speed trains are being diverted while SNCF teams repair the damaged wires.
The arson attacks, the perpetrators of which are not yet known, happened hours before the beginning of the Paris Olympics’ Opening Ceremony.