Eurostar faces major cancellations and delays due to French arson incident

Eurostar faces major cancellations and delays
Credit: Maja Smiejkowska/PA

London (Parliament Politics Magzine) – Eurostar passengers expecting to catch the commencement of the Paris Olympics have persisted in facing difficulties after an arson episode in France caused train revocations.

What Caused the Disruption for Eurostar Passengers to Paris?

People journeying by Eurostar from London to Paris were requested to postpone trips if possible after the rail operator withdrew one in four trains over the weekend as a consequence of arson attacks that led to widespread disorder to France’s high-speed rail web hours before the start of the Olympics.

How Are Eurostar Passengers Affected by Recent Arson Attacks?

Eurostar withdrew four of the 15 trains scheduled to travel from London to Paris, concerning more than 3,000 passengers, and the operator also alerted of delays. It was encouraging concerned passengers to “postpone their trip if possible”. 

How Are Increased Bus Prices Affecting Travelers to Paris?

Fees for buses to the French capital have skyrocketed, with seats from London to Paris selling for as much as £200. All Flixbus and National Express services on the passage for Saturday have been reserved. The next coach with availability departs London at 2 am on Sunday. Anyone expecting to catch the Flixbus service will be required to pay £198 for a seat.

How Are Eurostar Passengers Coping with the Travel Chaos?

Passengers at St Pancras station were desperately attempting to get alternative tickets to the French capital. One nervous Parisian mother stated the cancellation of Friday’s 4.31 pm train meant her 12-year-old daughter was remaining alone in a cafe in Paris after an undertaking to pick her up on Saturday morning fell through.

Zissia Patel, 46, a university official who has been visiting family in London, stated: “My daughter is alone in a cafe in Paris so I want to be with her. She’s only 12.” She stated she had been told she could not rebook an additional train online and had to come into St Pancras instead. “I’m just trying to keep calm. My child is alone in a cafe,” she said.

Olivia Atwell was in slashes as she waited behind Patel in the slow-moving Eurostar line. The 26-year-old Australian stated she had not slept since bringing on a 5.40 am flight from Sydney to London on Friday to eye her cousin Amy compete in the women’s basketball at the Olympics. 

Atwell, an accountant from Sydney, stated: “I’ve not slept. If I don’t get a train I’ll get a flight to Paris.” People also communicated their travel woes on social media. Jeremy Bourton noted that he could lose up to £4,000 after his Eurostar train was withdrawn. Tagging the Eurostar account, he said: “Can I please get confirmation that you will pay compensation for our accommodation, Olympic events? Totalling around £3,500/£4,000 in total.”

The jokester Matt Green stated he had been “looking forward to going to the Olympics for years” and booked Eurostar tickets from London to Paris as soon as the French capital was announced as the competition’s 2024 host city. Despite the trouble, travellers had kind comments for Eurostar staff dealing with the disorder.

Daniele Naddei

Daniele Naddei is a journalist at Parliament News covering European affairs, was born in Naples on April 8, 1991. He also serves as the Director of the CentroSud24 newspaper. During the period from 2010 to 2013, Naddei completed an internship at the esteemed local radio station Radio Club 91. Subsequently, he became the author of a weekly magazine published by the Italian Volleyball Federation of Campania (FIPAV Campania), which led to his registration in the professional order of Journalists of Campania in early 2014, listed under publicists. From 2013 to 2018, he worked as a freelance photojournalist and cameraman for external services for Rai and various local entities, including TeleCapri, CapriEvent, and TLA. Additionally, between 2014 and 2017, Naddei collaborated full-time with various newspapers in Campania, both in print and online. During this period, he also resumed his role as Editor-in-Chief at Radio Club 91.
Naddei is actively involved as a press officer for several companies and is responsible for editing cultural and social events in the city through his association with the Medea Fattoria Sociale. This experience continued until 2021. Throughout these years, he hosted or collaborated on football sports programs for various local broadcasters, including TLA, TvLuna, TeleCapri, Radio Stonata, Radio Amore, and Radio Antenna Uno.
From 2016 to 2018, Naddei was employed as an editor at newspapers of national interest within the Il24.it circuit, including Internazionale24, Salute24, and OggiScuola. Since 2019, Naddei has been one of the creators of the Rabona television program "Calcio è Passione," which has been broadcast on TeleCapri Sport since 2023.