Eurostar’s live traffic portal issued multiple red alerts on the morning of 17 January flagging ‘trains supprimés’ and rolling delays affecting services into and out of Paris-Gare-du-Nord through the end of the month. Operational constraints in Amsterdam, engineering works on the Dutch high-speed network and a Paris signalling upgrade combine to limit capacity; some services are removed entirely while others face hour-long holds at border-control pinch points in Lille.
The disruption coincides with record winter air-travel delays, pushing more corporate passengers onto rail. Eurostar carried 11 million travellers in 2025, with business trips accounting for roughly 28 % of traffic. A Paris-London return is a staple for cross-channel commuters because it avoids Heathrow slot scarcity and provides seamless biometric exit checks; when schedules wobble, knock-on effects ripple across meeting calendars and expat household moves.
Implications for mobility teams: HR should advise staff to book flexible fares and pad itineraries by at least 90 minutes when connecting to onward flights. Eurostar’s Conditions 10 and 11 entitle passengers delayed over 60 minutes to partial refunds or re-routes, but hotel costs are reimbursed only when the carrier arranges accommodation. Relocation vendors moving pets or household goods via Eurotunnel should plan overnight contingencies as LeShuttle freight slots are similarly compressed.
![Eurostar Warns of Paris-Bound Delays and Train Cancellations Through 31 January]()
For travellers suddenly finding that schedule changes push them into different jurisdictions—or whose passports or visas no longer align with revised plans—VisaHQ offers a practical backstop. Through its portal (https://www.visahq.com/france/), the service can fast-track French or UK visa applications, arrange passport renewals and provide up-to-the-minute entry-rule guidance, allowing mobility managers to rescue itineraries disrupted by Eurostar’s reduced capacity.
Border formalities: The Franco-British ‘EES Lite’ biometric pilot remains active at Gare du Nord until full Schengen Entry-Exit deployment in April 2026. Staff report the system adds around four minutes per passenger, a factor that compounds when departure boards are bunched by disruption.
Outlook: Network Rail and Infrabel works on the Belgian section are scheduled to finish by 6 February, after which Eurostar expects to reinstate the standard 17 daily Paris–London frequencies. Until then, companies should revisit travel-policy exceptions allowing premium-economy bookings on short-notice rail substitutions.
The disruption coincides with record winter air-travel delays, pushing more corporate passengers onto rail. Eurostar carried 11 million travellers in 2025, with business trips accounting for roughly 28 % of traffic. A Paris-London return is a staple for cross-channel commuters because it avoids Heathrow slot scarcity and provides seamless biometric exit checks; when schedules wobble, knock-on effects ripple across meeting calendars and expat household moves.
Implications for mobility teams: HR should advise staff to book flexible fares and pad itineraries by at least 90 minutes when connecting to onward flights. Eurostar’s Conditions 10 and 11 entitle passengers delayed over 60 minutes to partial refunds or re-routes, but hotel costs are reimbursed only when the carrier arranges accommodation. Relocation vendors moving pets or household goods via Eurotunnel should plan overnight contingencies as LeShuttle freight slots are similarly compressed.
For travellers suddenly finding that schedule changes push them into different jurisdictions—or whose passports or visas no longer align with revised plans—VisaHQ offers a practical backstop. Through its portal (https://www.visahq.com/france/), the service can fast-track French or UK visa applications, arrange passport renewals and provide up-to-the-minute entry-rule guidance, allowing mobility managers to rescue itineraries disrupted by Eurostar’s reduced capacity.
Border formalities: The Franco-British ‘EES Lite’ biometric pilot remains active at Gare du Nord until full Schengen Entry-Exit deployment in April 2026. Staff report the system adds around four minutes per passenger, a factor that compounds when departure boards are bunched by disruption.
Outlook: Network Rail and Infrabel works on the Belgian section are scheduled to finish by 6 February, after which Eurostar expects to reinstate the standard 17 daily Paris–London frequencies. Until then, companies should revisit travel-policy exceptions allowing premium-economy bookings on short-notice rail substitutions.
