Services on France's high-speed railway network have severely been disrupted by suspected acts of sabotage hours before the Olympic Games officially open in Paris.

The national railway operator said on Friday that lines of the TGV network connecting Paris with the country's northern and eastern regions became the victim of "several acts of malicious damage" overnight.

Eurostar, a high-speed train network linking the European continent and Britain, is also affected and many services have been canceled.

The operator also says arson attacks were carried out to damage its facilities and cables have been cut.

It adds that teams "are already on site to diagnose the problem and begin repairs" but "this situation is expected to last at least through the weekend while repairs are carried out."

The operator posted a message on social media, saying that a massive attack aimed at paralyzing the high-speed rail network has led to the cancellation of many trains.

It asks all passengers to postpone their journeys and not to go to stations.

French transport minister Patrice Vergriete said in a social media post that coordinated malicious acts targeted several TGV lines.

He also said he strongly condemns these criminal actions which will compromise the vacation departures of many French people.

Many people have gone to main railway stations in Paris to leave for their summer holidays.

The Olympic opening ceremony is due to be held in Paris on Friday evening.