Many thousands of Eurostar passengers had their travel plans torn up due to a series of incidents on the high-speed line in France on Tuesday and Wednesday.
On Tuesday, two people were struck by trains in separate locations, halting services in the evening Those tragedies were followed by overnight cable theft from the line near Lille in northern France, which caused further disruption on Wednesday morning – with further cancellations and long delays.
Eurostar told passengers booked to travel on Wednesday: “We advise you to cancel or postpone your trip.” Its social media team earlier described the situation as “total chaos”.
Air fares linking London with Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam soared due to the mass cancellations. Many flights sold out, even with one-way fares topping £600.
Thousand of people are out of position. Unfortunately for those travellers, care and compensation rules for international rail travellers are far less comprehensive and generous than for airline passengers.
These are the key questions and answers about rail passengers’ rights.
What is the latest?
At London St Pancras International, the UK hub for Eurostar, all trains are expected to run on Thursday – though the first six trains from Paris to London are running around 50 minutes late “due to a technical issue on a train that was quickly resolved”.
Trains that are running are almost completely full. The only train from London to Paris with any standard class seats is the last of the day, at 8.42pm, costing £242 one way. Through the day a total of 65 Eurostar Premier seats at £375 each are available,
The rail firm says anyone who took the advice “to cancel or postpone your trip” has three options:
- “Exchange your booking for free to travel in the same travel class at a different date. It only takes a minute to rearrange your trip.
- “Cancel your booking and claim an e-voucher. You will have 12 months from the date of your disrupted journey to redeem it on eurostar.com.
- “Cancel your booking and get a refund. You’ll receive a refund for the value of your ticket but not for any booking or exchange fees. We'll process your request within 28 days.”
Many people will want to avail of the chance to rebook for a future date. The e-voucher option looks extremely unappealing – cash is preferable.
If I spent a fortune on a flight, will Eurostar pay the extra cost?
No. In aviation, when an airline cancels a flight it must cover the cost of getting you to your destination as soon as possible (including, if nothing else is available, in Eurostar Premier class).
But that is not the case for international rail passengers. Even though air fares surged way beyond normal levels, all you can claim back from Eurostar is the original price of your ticket.
Travel insurance is the best route for a claim for extra costs.
What care costs am I entitled to from Eurostar?
The rail firm tries to deflect claims, saying: “We may be able to help with some expenses incurred in the event of a disruption. But your travel insurer should cover you for most things, so it’s best to drop them a line first.”
A travel insurer is likely to bounce the claim straight back to Eurostar.
Travellers stranded on Tuesday night were offered a £250/€300 hotel stay and taxi expenses.
What about cash compensation?
There is no possibility of an airline-style payout of hundreds of pounds. The best you can hope for is compensation if you travel with Eurostar on a heavily delayed service. The company offers a choice between a partial refund of the cost of your ticket, or a voucher for future travel within a year – typically worth 20 to 50 per cent more than the cash refund.
Delays of under an hour do not qualify for compensation. These are the refund rates according to the length of delay in minutes:
- 60-119: 25 per cent of journey cost in cash, or 30 per cent as a voucher
- 120 and above: 50 per cent of journey cost in cash, or 60 per cent as a voucher (increasing to 75 per cent for a delay of three hours or more)
Passengers on a Paris-London train on Tuesday that took nearly three times as long as normal were offered 75 per cent of their fare back – or 125 per cent as a voucher.
Can I claim back for a prepaid hotel abroad?
No. You are unable to claim for costs triggered by the train cancellation, such as a hotel in Paris, Brussels or Amsterdam that you cannot reach.
Travel insurance may cover such a loss.
Any alternatives to Eurostar that don’t involve flying?
Between London and Paris, the most direct route is to take the train from London Victoria via Lewes to Newhaven in East Sussex, sail on the DFDS ferry to Dieppe and continue by train from the port via Rouen to Paris St-Lazare.
The easiest terrestrial alternative to Rotterdam and Amsterdam is by by rail and sea: take the train from London Liverpool Street to Harwich in Essex, the Stena Line ferry to Hook of Holland and then the Metro to central Rotterdam. Onward connections by train are available across the Netherlands, including to Amsterdam.
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