Eurostar issued a network-wide alert on 13 January after technical issues and an “unauthorised person on the line” at Brussels-Midi triggered cascading delays throughout the Belgian rail network. Services between Brussels, Paris, London, Amsterdam and Cologne were affected, with some Paris-bound trains arriving more than 90 minutes late. (visahq.com)
Passengers reported queues forming at the juxtaposed UK Border-Force and Schengen controls inside Brussels-Midi, underscoring how a single choke-point can ripple across multiple jurisdictions. Eurostar is offering fee-free rebooking within 60 days, but refund eligibility depends on delay length—something travel managers will need to verify when processing expense claims.
![Brussels bottleneck causes rolling Eurostar delays on Paris services]()
Whether you are rebooking rail tickets or rerouting via another hub, VisaHQ can help remove at least one uncertainty: entry documentation. Through its dedicated France portal (https://www.visahq.com/france/), the platform lets corporate mobility teams and individual travelers check Schengen requirements, validate passport validity, and arrange expedited courier processing for last-minute visas—an invaluable safety net when unexpected delays force itinerary changes.
For companies flying talent into Paris on tight schedules, the advice is to build longer connection buffers or consider routing via Lille or direct flights to CDG. The episode also highlights the vulnerability of high-frequency cross-border commuting under the new EES regime: should biometric kiosks go offline, border queues would stretch even further.
Belgian infrastructure manager Infrabel says full normalisation may take 24 hours as crews reposition rolling stock. With France due to host several major trade shows in February, mobility teams should monitor Eurostar bulletins and have contingency plans such as Thalys or Air France shuttle flights. (visahq.com)
Passengers reported queues forming at the juxtaposed UK Border-Force and Schengen controls inside Brussels-Midi, underscoring how a single choke-point can ripple across multiple jurisdictions. Eurostar is offering fee-free rebooking within 60 days, but refund eligibility depends on delay length—something travel managers will need to verify when processing expense claims.
Whether you are rebooking rail tickets or rerouting via another hub, VisaHQ can help remove at least one uncertainty: entry documentation. Through its dedicated France portal (https://www.visahq.com/france/), the platform lets corporate mobility teams and individual travelers check Schengen requirements, validate passport validity, and arrange expedited courier processing for last-minute visas—an invaluable safety net when unexpected delays force itinerary changes.
For companies flying talent into Paris on tight schedules, the advice is to build longer connection buffers or consider routing via Lille or direct flights to CDG. The episode also highlights the vulnerability of high-frequency cross-border commuting under the new EES regime: should biometric kiosks go offline, border queues would stretch even further.
Belgian infrastructure manager Infrabel says full normalisation may take 24 hours as crews reposition rolling stock. With France due to host several major trade shows in February, mobility teams should monitor Eurostar bulletins and have contingency plans such as Thalys or Air France shuttle flights. (visahq.com)
