Thousands of passengers traveling from London to Paris face serious disruption on the day of Olympic Games opening ceremony after a suspected coordinated attack on the French railway 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.
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 Eurostar spokesperson said: “Due to coordinated acts of malice in France affecting the high-speed line between Paris and Lille, all high-speed trains going to and from Paris are today being diverted via the line. classical”. [Friday 26 July].
“This extends travel time by about an hour and a half. Several trains were cancelled.”
“Eurostar expects this situation to continue until Monday morning. Today, Eurostar will cancel 25% of its trains. This will also be the case on Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th”, they added. It is expected that these cancellations could affect more than 8,000 passengers traveling from London to Paris.
“Eurostar teams are fully mobilized at stations, in call centers and on board to ensure all passengers are informed and can reach their destination.”
Here’s everything you need to know if you’re planning to travel to Paris this weekend.
How many Eurostar services have been stopped?
There were supposed to be a record 18 services from London St Pancras International to Paris Gare du Nord on Friday, but all will be affected by the travel disruption. Services that are still running are delayed by an hour or more on the company’s website. One in four Eurostar services from London to Paris will be canceled on Friday 26th, Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th July.
Are Eurostar services definitely working?
Yes. The first train from Paris Gare du Nord arrived at St Pancras International 82 minutes late. The delay is due to the fact that trains are running along the “classic” line, as the TGV Nord high-speed line is closed. Many other high-speed lines, including those connecting Paris with Brussels, Amsterdam and the rest of northern France, also use the old railway lines.
How is Eurostar contacting affected passengers?
Passengers will be contacted via email or SMS. Eurostar says: “We ask all travelers who are able to postpone their trip and not go to the station.”
My train has been cancelled, what are my options?
If your train was canceled or delayed by more than 60 minutes, you can request a refund or change trains, but be aware that few services will be available in the next 48 hours. You may also be able to claim compensation in case of delays.
I’m stuck, will I have any support?
Yes. If the chaos persists and you are stranded overnight, whether in London or Paris, you may be able to claim reasonable accommodation and food expenses. Keep your receipts.
Can I book a flight?
No, unless you move very fast. All three Paris airports (Charles de Gaulle, Orly and Beauvais) will be closed from 6:30 pm on Friday afternoon as a security measure before the event begins. opening ceremony – the last plane to land is expected to be the Edinburgh to Charles de Gaulle service, landing at 5:10 pm.
After that, an area of northern France roughly the size of Belgium will be closed for five hours to all flights except official government and emergency services. Normally, Paris’ three airports would handle up to 350,000 passengers on a peak summer day on Friday.
What about French domestic trains?
French national rail operator SNCF has advised passengers to postpone their trips and stay away from train stations.
At the main Parisian stations of Montparnasse, Gare du Nord and Gare de l’Est, operations were heavily disrupted and stations became extremely busy on Friday morning after trains were delayed or cancelled.
Early Friday afternoon, French Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete said: “Traffic is starting to increase again and I would like to thank the staff at SNCF Réseau who worked so hard this morning. It was actually the Atlantic line that was affected. We should have 1 train in every 3 returning this afternoon.”
Will metro services in Paris be affected?
The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, insisted that the attack on high-speed rail lines “will have no impact on the opening ceremony” of the Olympic Games on Friday night, “because it has no consequences for the transport network.” in the Paris region.
Is LeShuttle still operating?
LeShuttle, the service that transports cars and foot passengers, is operating normally. 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 disrupted by the chaos of rail travel in France.
Travel chaos ruined my plans – can I claim anything back on insurance?
Rory Boland, travel editor at Which? Tripsays: “If you have tickets to attend the Games and end up missing an event due to transport problems, it may be possible to make a claim against your insurance – either against the ticket protection insurance, if you picked it up at the time of purchase, or your insurance travel time, depending on the specifics of your policy.”
Some travel insurance Policies may have a trip interruption extension, but you should check the terms and conditions of your policy extension and what type of interruption it covers. The best way to make sure you’re covered is to call or email your insurance company to ask for it to be added.
More to follow
