An estimated 25,000 Eurostar passengers had their travel plans disrupted by the closure of the Channel Tunnel for many hours on 30 December.
Thirty trains connecting London St Pancras International with Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam have been cancelled.
Services have now resumed, but passengers have been told that unless they have confirmation for one of the trains that are running, they must leave the station.
Even though easyJet has made extra capacity between London and Paris, air fares have risen due to mass cancellations. The cheapest British Airways flight on New Year’s Eve is £625.
Thousands of people are out of position. Unfortunately for those travelers, the rules on care and compensation for international rail travelers are far less comprehensive and generous than for airline passengers.
These are the main questions and answers about rail passenger rights.
What is Eurostar saying?
“Following service suspension due to overhead power supply issues in the Channel Tunnel and a failed LeShuttle train, Eurostar services to and from London will resume tonight at around 6pm following the partial re-opening of the Channel Tunnel.
“As the overhead power supply issues in the Channel Tunnel are still there, only one line is available to run trains on. This means there will continue to be delays and longer than usual journey times tonight.
“Therefore we continue to advise our customers to rebook their journey for another day if possible, with free exchanges available.
“We also advise customers not to come to our stations if their trains have already been cancelled.
“Although beyond our control, we apologize for the disruption today and will continue to keep customers updated with the latest information and support them in rescheduling their bookings.”
What are my options as a passenger?
You can rebook, but only “in the same class of travel, subject to availability”. Unfortunately, there don’t seem to be any seats on any trains for the rest of the year.
If you decide to cancel, Eurostar is offering an “e-voucher for the unused ticket, valid for 12 months”, but it would be a gamble to take this rather than a full refund.
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 this is not the case for international rail passengers. Even though airfares have risen well 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 expenses.
What care costs am I entitled to from Eurostar?
The rail firm says: “Eurostar will cover reasonable costs, including hotel accommodation up to £150/€170 per room, per night.” The nearest Premier Inn is currently charging £192. Eurostar says the contact center “will be pragmatic when compensating”. Taxi costs of up to £50/€60 per journey are also covered, as well as food and drink costs of up to £35/€40 per person, per day.
What about cash compensation?
There is no possibility of an airline style payment of hundreds of pounds. The best you can hope for is compensation if you travel with Eurostar on a badly delayed service. The company offers a choice between a partial refund of the cost of your ticket, or a voucher for future journeys within a year – typically worth 20 to 50 percent more than a cash refund.
A delay of less than one hour does not qualify for compensation. These are the refund rates according to the length of the delay:
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60-119 minutes: 25 percent of the trip cost in cash, or 30 percent as a voucher
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120 minutes and over: 50 percent of the journey cost in cash, or 60 percent as a voucher (increases to 75 percent for a delay of three hours or more)
Can I claim a refund for a prepaid hotel abroad that I can’t reach?
No. You cannot claim for expenses caused by the cancellation of the train, such as a hotel in Paris, Brussels or Amsterdam that you cannot reach. Travel insurance can cover these losses.
Read more: Eurostar life delayed: Services partially resume but passengers still ‘strongly advised’ not to travel