PARIS:  A man with a knife attacked six people at the Gare du Nord train station in Paris on Wednesday morning, leaving one with major injuries, a police spokesperson said.

The attacker was shot several times by police and taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries, the spokesperson added.

The man's motives were not immediately clear, police said. The Paris prosecutor said in a statement that a criminal investigation had been opened.

The station serves as a busy commuter hub which also serves as a departure point for trains to northern France, London and northern Europe

“An individual injured several people this morning at the Gare du Nord,” Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin wrote on Twitter.

“He was quickly neutralized. Thank you to the police for their effective and courageous response.”

The incident has cased major delays to trains at the station in the early morning rush, according to the live departure board of operator SNCF.

Police cordoned off the station, and set up large white curtains around the attack scene.

The Gare du Nord is one of the world’s busiest train stations with 700,000 travelers per day.

The attacker’s motive was not immediately clear. France remains on a state of heightened security alert after a spate of deadly attacks by Islamist radicals, and others, since 2015.

In December, a suspected gunman killed three Kurds in Paris.

The 69-year old suspect confessed to a “pathological” hatred for foreigners.