Live updates: Paris Olympics opening ceremony underway despite French railway attacks

Passengers react inside Gare de Bordeaux Saint-Jean station following threats against France’s high-speed TGV network, on Friday, July 26, in Bordeaux, France.

Scenes emerged of hundreds of flustered passengers crammed on platforms across train stations in France, after a spate of attacks disrupted travel lines just hours before the Paris Olympics opening ceremony.

Some travelers had been desperate to return home after passing through the French capital, while others say they were preparing to watch the Olympics for their summer holidays.

Travellers from Sydney, Australia, wait outside the Gare Montparnasse train station in Paris as they try to search for other trains after their journey was affected by the rail disruptions.

Francoise, an 80-year-old women from the coastal city of La Rochelle, told CNN she was trying to get home after medical treatment in Paris.

“We didn’t need a day like this,” she said, adding that she would wait another five hours in the hope of boarding a train.

Just outside Paris, passengers were left befuddled at Gare de Montparnasse, one of the worst impacted stations servicing the west and southwest of France.

Employees of SNCF railway company speak to passengers waiting for train departures at the Gare Montparnasse train station in Paris.

Virginia and Philip Asante told CNN they were supporting the Canadian soccer team at the Olympic Games, along with their three kids aged 6 to 11.

“I didn’t know lines were disrupted,” said Virginia. “We might lose our ticket for the match tomorrow too. … Should we take a bus?”

With their train likely to be canceled, Philip said the family had been told to rent a car. “We don’t want our holiday to be ruined.”

People sit on their luggage at Gare de Lille-Flandres train station in Lille, France.

When asked about the travel chaos, 6-year-old Hunter told CNN: “Yes, I’m upset.”

Another passenger, 24-year-old Marguerite, was left “disconcerted” by the confusion, saying she was at the station for a changeover before heading home to Brittany, in northwestern France.

“I don’t know where to go,” she told CNN. I”’m trying to call friends to see where I can sleep tonight. Apparently, I have friends here that can let me sleep for one night.” 

“It’s not their fault (SNCF), but we knew that it would be complicated to move with the opening ceremony today.”

Travellers rest outside the Gare de Bordeaux Saint-Jean train station in Bordeaux, France.