Eurostar services are facing major disruption after being hit by “coordinated acts of malice” in France, with customers being urged to postpone travel if possible.

Passengers have been left stranded following the incident which comes just hours ahead of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony.

Several trains to the French capital have already been cancelled and others diverted with train bosses at Eurostar, which runs international services from London St Pancras, saying one in four trains will be cancelled today and across the weekend.

“We encourage our customers to postpone their trip if possible,” a spokesperson said.

“Due to coordinated acts of malice in France, affecting the high-speed line between Paris and Lille, all high-speed trains going to and coming from Paris are being diverted via the classic line today.

“This extends the journey time by around an hour-and-a-half. Several trains have been cancelled.

“Eurostar’s teams are fully mobilised in stations, in the call centres, and onboard to ensure that all passengers are informed and can reach their destination.”

Pictures show the packed departures area at St Pancras, with hundreds of people waiting to find out when they can travel.

The chaos erupted shortly after 8am when French rail company SNCF, released a statement revealing that the high-speed network had been targeted by "malicious acts" aimed at paralysing the system.

It says: "Last night, the SNCF was victim of several acts of vandalism on the Atlantic, Northern and Eastern high-speed lines.

“Fires were deliberately set to damage our installations.”

Eurostar services in France to and from Paris are being diverted as passengers are warned to postpone their trips if possible.

While services between Paris and London are still running, anyone on board should expect their journey to be one hour longer than normal.

The high-speed line between Paris and Lille will also see journey times increasing by 90 minutes.

Several high-speed TGV lines have been hit to the west, north and east of Paris and queues have formed at Gare Montparnasse station in the city.

But, earlier this afternoon, Eurostar’s Chief Commercial Officer François Le Doze, said he is confident most people in the UK will still be able to get to Paris for the Olympic Games despite the disruption.

He added that extra staff at St Pancras International have helped keep things calm in London and that overall there is still a general mood of excitement.

It has also emerged that authorities investigating the cause of the disruption have reportedly found several incendiary devices.

In an interview with French broadcaster TF1, external, the French transport minister Patrice Vergriete confirmed they were found, but refused to say who might be behind the attacks on the rail network.

He went on to describe the attacks as a “criminal act” adding the security forces are on high alert.

It comes as French military personnel and police officers have been seen at the Gare du Nord station in Paris amid the disruption.

Amid the disruption, the UK Department for Transport says it is "in close contact" with Eurostar and French authorities.

SNCF has warned that the situation could last "at least all weekend while repairs are conducted" with the president of the group, Jean-Pierre Farandou, telling French news outlet, BFMTV, that 800,000 travellers could be affected over the weekend.

He adds that the network was prepared for the Olympic Games but is now looking at mobilising hundreds of personnel to fix the network as quickly as possible.

The BBC has also reported that AFP news agency says comments they have received from a source close to the investigation who says the arson attacks were acts of "sabotage". Their source added that the attacks were "evidently co-ordinated", according to the news agency.

Similarly, the Paris prosecutor's office has opened an investigation into "deliberate damage" caused to SNCF sites and harm to “fundamental national interests”. The body says the investigations surround the actions overnight.

Posts on X, formerly Twitter, show scores of passengers stranded at train stations in France as well as St Pancras International in London.

“This massive attack on the high-speed train network will cause disruptions at least until the end of the weekend,” SNCF president Jean-Pierre Farandou, wrote on X.

“I would like to assure all our customers of the full mobilization of railway workers to restore train circulation as quickly as possible.”

SNCF teams are fully mobilised in stations, in the call centres, and onboard to ensure that all passengers are informed and can reach their destination.

Bosses add that customers are being informed via email, SMS or on the SNCF website. Passengers can cancel their journey free of charge, be refunded, or modify their journey free of charge.

More as we get it.