An estimated 25,000 Eurostar passengers had their travel plans disrupted when the Channel Tunnel was closed for several 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 are confirmed for one of the running trains, they will have to leave the station.
Although easyJet has spare capacity between London and Paris, airfares 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 passengers, the rules of care and compensation for international rail passengers are far less comprehensive and lenient than for airline passengers.
These are key questions and answers about rail passenger rights.
What does Eurostar say?
“Following the suspension of services due to overhead power supply issues in the Channel Tunnel and a failed LeShuttle train, Eurostar services to and from London will resume at 6pm today following the partial re-opening of the Channel Tunnel.
“With overhead power supply issues still remaining in the Channel Tunnel, only one line is available to run trains. This means delays and longer journey times than this evening will continue.
“We therefore advise our customers to rebook their journey for another day if possible if free exchanges are 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 travel class, subject to availability”. Unfortunately, no seats are visible on any trains for the rest of the year.
If you decide to cancel, Eurostar is offering an “e-voucher valid for 12 months for unused tickets”, but it would be unfair to take this instead of a full cash refund.
If I spend 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 (if nothing else is available in Eurostar Premier Class).
But this is not the case for international train passengers. Even if air fares rise above normal levels, all you can claim back from Eurostar is the original price of your ticket.
Travel insurance is the best way to claim for extra costs.
What care costs am I entitled to from Eurostar?
The rail firm says: “Eurostar will cover reasonable expenses 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 “reimbursed as practicable”. Taxi costs of up to £50 / €60 per journey are also included, plus food and drink costs of £35 / €40 per person per day, per day.
What about cash compensation?
No chance of airline-style payments of hundreds of pounds. This is the best compensation you can hope for if you travel with Eurostar on a severely 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 – usually worth 20 to 50 percent more than a cash refund.
Delays of less than one hour are not eligible for compensation. These are the return rates according to the length of delay:
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60-119 minutes: 25 percent of the travel cost in cash, or 30 percent as a voucher
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120 minutes and above: 50 percent of the journey cost in cash, or 60 percent as a voucher (increasing to 75 percent for delays of three hours or more)
Can I claim a refund for a prepaid hotel abroad that I cannot reach?
no You are unable to claim for costs incurred when you cancel a train, such as a hotel in Paris, Brussels or Amsterdam where you cannot get to. Travel insurance can cover such losses.
Read more: Eurostar delays live: Services partially resume but passengers still ‘strongly advised’ not to travel
