Eurostar has pulled two high-demand Saturday morning trains connecting London St Pancras and Brussels-Midi – the 07:04 London-Brussels service (train 9110) and the 07:56 Brussels-London return (train 9113) – after a late-night operational review triggered by rolling stock availability and ongoing engineering works in northern France.
The decision, published on Eurostar’s disruption portal in the early hours of 6 December, comes at the height of the pre-Christmas business-travel season, when Belgian and British executives rely on the four-country high-speed corridor for day-trip meetings and onward connections to Paris, Amsterdam and EU institutions. Eurostar has activated its “AOP” (Assistance Opération Perturbations) policy, allowing affected passengers to rebook at no cost or obtain a full refund. Seating capacity on the remaining morning departures is already tight, however, and rail-management companies report fare spikes of 45-60 % on short notice bookings.
![Eurostar cancels key London–Brussels services on 6 December, urges travellers to rebook or claim refunds]()
Although Eurostar has not cited an official cause beyond “operational constraints”, rail-industry sources point to a chronic shortage of e-320 trainsets following heavy maintenance cycles and the knock-on effects of last week’s national strike in Belgium, which left assets and crew out of position. Infrastructure works between Lille and Calais are also forcing schedule padding that cascades through the London–Brussels diagram.
For mobility managers, the cancellation underscores the fragility of an otherwise green corridor that many firms now treat as their default alternative to intra-EU air travel. Employers with time-critical meetings in London or Brussels today should consider rerouting staff via the 09:01 or 10:01 London departures, add at least 45 minutes turnaround time for additional security queues, and keep contingency hotel space on hold. Travellers with tight afternoon connections to long-haul flights at Heathrow or Brussels Airport may prefer to fly point-to-point or connect via Paris Nord/Charles-de-Gaulle TGV.
Looking ahead, Eurostar has warned of further timetable adjustments around Christmas and of possible rolling cancellations linked to ongoing terminal renovation in Amsterdam, which forces all UK border and security checks to occur in Brussels. Corporates are advised to monitor the Eurostar service-update feed and build flexible tickets into 2025 travel budgets.
The decision, published on Eurostar’s disruption portal in the early hours of 6 December, comes at the height of the pre-Christmas business-travel season, when Belgian and British executives rely on the four-country high-speed corridor for day-trip meetings and onward connections to Paris, Amsterdam and EU institutions. Eurostar has activated its “AOP” (Assistance Opération Perturbations) policy, allowing affected passengers to rebook at no cost or obtain a full refund. Seating capacity on the remaining morning departures is already tight, however, and rail-management companies report fare spikes of 45-60 % on short notice bookings.
Although Eurostar has not cited an official cause beyond “operational constraints”, rail-industry sources point to a chronic shortage of e-320 trainsets following heavy maintenance cycles and the knock-on effects of last week’s national strike in Belgium, which left assets and crew out of position. Infrastructure works between Lille and Calais are also forcing schedule padding that cascades through the London–Brussels diagram.
For mobility managers, the cancellation underscores the fragility of an otherwise green corridor that many firms now treat as their default alternative to intra-EU air travel. Employers with time-critical meetings in London or Brussels today should consider rerouting staff via the 09:01 or 10:01 London departures, add at least 45 minutes turnaround time for additional security queues, and keep contingency hotel space on hold. Travellers with tight afternoon connections to long-haul flights at Heathrow or Brussels Airport may prefer to fly point-to-point or connect via Paris Nord/Charles-de-Gaulle TGV.
Looking ahead, Eurostar has warned of further timetable adjustments around Christmas and of possible rolling cancellations linked to ongoing terminal renovation in Amsterdam, which forces all UK border and security checks to occur in Brussels. Corporates are advised to monitor the Eurostar service-update feed and build flexible tickets into 2025 travel budgets.
