by Thousands of passengers traveling from London to Paris on the day of the Olympic Games opening ceremony have been severely disrupted following a suspected coordinated attack on France’s rail network.
Overnight, signs along railway tracks in northern France were set on fire and cables were cut and set on fire, sources close to the investigation said.
The attacks on the French transport system are expected to affect 250,000 passengers on Friday, rising to 800,000 by the end of the weekend.
A spokesman for Eurostar said: “Due to coordinated acts of malicious activity in France, affecting the high-speed line between Paris and Lille, all high-speed trains to and from Paris are being diverted via the classic line today. [Friday 26 July].
“This increases the journey time by about an hour and a half. Some trains have been cancelled.”
“Eurostar expects this situation to last until Monday morning. Today, Eurostar will cancel 25 per cent of its trains. It will also be the case on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28,” they said. It is expected that these cancellations could affect more than 8,000 passengers traveling from London to Paris.
“Eurostar staff are fully mobilized in stations, call centers and on board to ensure all passengers are informed and can reach their destination.”
Here’s everything you need if you’re planning to travel to Paris this weekend.
How many Eurostar services have been affected?
A record 18 services were due to run from London St Pancras International to Paris Gare du Nord on Friday, but all travel disruption will be affected. Services still running on the company’s website are showing delays of an hour or more. One in four Eurostar services from London to Paris will be canceled on Friday 26, Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 July.
Are Eurostar services running for sure?
Yes. The first train from Paris Gare du Nord St Pancras International arrived 82 minutes behind schedule. The reason for the delay is that trains are being sent along the “classic” line, as the high-speed TGV Nord line is closed. Many other high-speed lines, including those connecting Paris to Brussels, Amsterdam and the rest of northern France, also use the old railway lines.
How does Eurostar contact affected passengers?
Passengers will be contacted by email or SMS. Eurostar says: “We ask all travelers who are able to postpone their journey and not go to the station.”
My train has been cancelled, what are my options?
If your train is canceled or delayed by more than 60 minutes, you can request a refund or change trains, but please note that there are very few services available in the next 48 hours. You will also be able to claim compensation in the event of a delay.
I’m stuck, can I get any support?
Yes. If the chaos continues and you are stranded overnight, whether in London or Paris, you will be able to claim reasonable expenses for accommodation and food. Keep your receipts.
Can I book a flight instead?
Not unless you move very fast. All three airports in Paris (Charles de Gaulle, Orly and Beauvais) will be closed from 6.30pm on Friday evening as a security precaution ahead of the opening ceremony – the last plane to land is expected to be the service from Edinburgh to Charles de Gaulle. down at 5.10pm.
After that, an area in northern France around the size of Belgium will be closed for five hours to all flights, preventing emergency and official government services. The three Paris airports would normally handle up to 350,000 passengers on a peak summer day on a Friday.
What about French domestic trains?
France’s national rail operator, SNCF, has advised passengers to postpone their journeys and stay away from railway stations.
In the main stations of Paris, Montparnasse, Gare du Nord and Gare de l’Est, operations were severely disrupted and stations were extremely busy on Friday morning after trains were delayed or cancelled.
Early on Friday afternoon, French Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete said: “Traffic is starting to pick up again, and I want to thank the SNCF Réseau team who worked so hard this morning. It was the Atlantic line that really took off. We should have 1 train out of 3 this afternoon”.
Are metro services in Paris affected?
The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, argued that the attack on high-speed rail lines will have “no impact on the ceremony” to open the Olympic Games on Friday evening, “because it has no consequences for the transport network” in the Paris region.
Is LeShuttle still operating?
LeShuttle, the service that transports both cars and foot passengers, is operating as usual. The service runs from Folkestone in Kent to Calais. Tickets are still available throughout the weekend.
Are ferry services still operating?
Cross-Channel ferry services have not been affected by the rail travel chaos in France.
My plans have been ruined by the travel chaos – can I claim anything back on insurance?
Rory Boland, travel editor at Which one of them? Travelsays: “If you have tickets to watch the Games and miss an event because of the transport problems, you may be able to make a claim on your insurance – against ticket protection insurance if you took this out at the point of purchase, or your travel insurance, depending on the details of your policy.”
Some travel insurance policies may include a trip disruption extension, but you should check the terms and conditions of your policy’s extension and what type of disruption it covers. The best way to make sure you’re covered is to call or email your insurance provider to ask to be added.
More to follow
