Eurostar’s live traffic bulletin for 26 December warns of widespread delays and a handful of cancellations across its high-speed network, with multiple messages referencing operational problems at Brussels-Midi and on the broader Belgian rail grid. Services 9043 and 9050 are among those cancelled outright, while dozens of trains show knock-on delays linked to technical issues, speed restrictions and congestion in Belgium, France and the Netherlands.
The timing could hardly be worse: the 26 December public-holiday window is one of the busiest days for cross-Channel corporate travellers returning after Christmas meetings and for expatriate families commuting between London, Brussels and Paris. Eurostar says affected passengers will be rebooked where possible but warns that alternative seats before New Year are extremely limited.
While transport hiccups can derail schedules, having your travel documents in order shouldn’t add to the stress. VisaHQ’s Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) lets business travellers and holiday-makers quickly verify entry requirements for the UK, Belgium and the wider Schengen area, arrange urgent visas, and track passport renewals—especially useful if you have to switch from rail to air at short notice.
![Eurostar issues network-wide delay alerts and cancels peak-season trains through Brussels-Midi]()
For mobility and relocation teams, the disruption highlights the fragility of the only direct rail link between the EU capital and the UK post-Brexit. Companies that shifted short-haul executives from air to rail for sustainability reasons now face renewed pressure to provide back-up air tickets and remote-work options.
Eurostar attributes the current problems to a mix of late-running inbound units from maintenance depots, technical faults on overhead-line equipment, and staffing constraints during the holiday roster. Belgian infrastructure manager Infrabel has also reported signalling glitches between Brussels-Midi and Antwerp.
Travel-risk advisers urge multinational employees to build longer connection buffers at Gare du Nord and St Pancras and to monitor status updates via Eurostar’s app. Under EU rail passenger rules, delays over 60 minutes entitle travellers to partial refunds, but compensation claims are surging and could take weeks to process.
The timing could hardly be worse: the 26 December public-holiday window is one of the busiest days for cross-Channel corporate travellers returning after Christmas meetings and for expatriate families commuting between London, Brussels and Paris. Eurostar says affected passengers will be rebooked where possible but warns that alternative seats before New Year are extremely limited.
While transport hiccups can derail schedules, having your travel documents in order shouldn’t add to the stress. VisaHQ’s Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) lets business travellers and holiday-makers quickly verify entry requirements for the UK, Belgium and the wider Schengen area, arrange urgent visas, and track passport renewals—especially useful if you have to switch from rail to air at short notice.
For mobility and relocation teams, the disruption highlights the fragility of the only direct rail link between the EU capital and the UK post-Brexit. Companies that shifted short-haul executives from air to rail for sustainability reasons now face renewed pressure to provide back-up air tickets and remote-work options.
Eurostar attributes the current problems to a mix of late-running inbound units from maintenance depots, technical faults on overhead-line equipment, and staffing constraints during the holiday roster. Belgian infrastructure manager Infrabel has also reported signalling glitches between Brussels-Midi and Antwerp.
Travel-risk advisers urge multinational employees to build longer connection buffers at Gare du Nord and St Pancras and to monitor status updates via Eurostar’s app. Under EU rail passenger rules, delays over 60 minutes entitle travellers to partial refunds, but compensation claims are surging and could take weeks to process.
