Christmas Eve travellers hoping for a quick hop between Paris and Brussels found themselves stuck at Gare du Nord for up to three hours after Eurostar reported ‘technical problems between Paris and Bruxelles-Midi’. Although the underlying fault – a signalling interface in the northern suburbs – was cleared by mid-afternoon, high load factors meant that every subsequent departure left late, and two trains were turned short at Lille.
Eurostar and border authorities at both termini introduced platform metering, stretching exit checks by French Police aux Frontières and entry checks by Belgian officers. Some passengers reported queue times of 70 minutes just to reach immigration desks, raising fresh questions about capacity as the mandatory EU Entry/Exit System expands next year.
![Technical Glitch Triggers Three-Hour Delays on Paris-Brussels Eurostar Services]()
Travellers keen to avoid additional headaches can simplify at least the paperwork side of cross-border journeys by using VisaHQ’s online services. The platform (https://www.visahq.com/france/) walks applicants through Schengen visa requirements, passport renewals and the forthcoming ETIAS and EES procedures, providing corporate and leisure customers with real-time updates and dedicated support that can help keep last-minute disruptions to a minimum.
Corporate travellers attempting day-return meetings were forced to rearrange appointments or switch to video calls. Those holding fully flex Business Premier tickets could transfer to Thalys, but Standard and Standard Premier ticketholders had to wait for seats to open up. Airlines operating the Paris-Brussels shuttle reported a 12 % spike in last-minute bookings.
Eurostar has offered refunds or free rebooking within 30 days but says processing may take up to ten working days because of holiday backlogs. The incident underscores the fragility of the high-speed rail corridor that many companies rely on to keep carbon budgets in check; firms may need to diversify routes or allow buffer days when scheduling urgent cross-border work in late December.
Eurostar and border authorities at both termini introduced platform metering, stretching exit checks by French Police aux Frontières and entry checks by Belgian officers. Some passengers reported queue times of 70 minutes just to reach immigration desks, raising fresh questions about capacity as the mandatory EU Entry/Exit System expands next year.
Travellers keen to avoid additional headaches can simplify at least the paperwork side of cross-border journeys by using VisaHQ’s online services. The platform (https://www.visahq.com/france/) walks applicants through Schengen visa requirements, passport renewals and the forthcoming ETIAS and EES procedures, providing corporate and leisure customers with real-time updates and dedicated support that can help keep last-minute disruptions to a minimum.
Corporate travellers attempting day-return meetings were forced to rearrange appointments or switch to video calls. Those holding fully flex Business Premier tickets could transfer to Thalys, but Standard and Standard Premier ticketholders had to wait for seats to open up. Airlines operating the Paris-Brussels shuttle reported a 12 % spike in last-minute bookings.
Eurostar has offered refunds or free rebooking within 30 days but says processing may take up to ten working days because of holiday backlogs. The incident underscores the fragility of the high-speed rail corridor that many companies rely on to keep carbon budgets in check; firms may need to diversify routes or allow buffer days when scheduling urgent cross-border work in late December.
