Travel chaos as French strikes force Eurostar to cancel services

BRITS heading to France have been warned of travel chaos due to strike action.

Eurostar has been forced to cancel a number of services today and tomorrow as train service SNCF staff are walking out as part of the nationwide strikes in France.

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A number of Eurostar services have been cancelled due to strikes across France[/caption]

Four Eurostar services have already been cancelled today, according to Reuters.

The London to Paris services at 1:31pm and 7:01pm have been cancelled, along with the Paris to London routes at 11:13am and 4:13pm.

The same routes will also be cancelled tomorrow.

Further disruptions are expected throughout the day due to the ongoing strike action.

The train service said in a statement on its website: “If your train is scheduled to run, please be aware that public transport and connecting journeys in France may be disrupted. 

“If you’re travelling to/from Lille or Paris, we recommend that you plan ahead and allow extra time for your journey.”

Passengers affected can exchange their tickets for free, or get a credit note or full refund.

Eurostar has been forced to reduce its services in recent months.

Brits will no longer be able to get a direct train from London St Pancras to Disneyland Paris next year.

Families travelling to the theme park will have to travel on the high speed train via Paris or Lille instead of arriving directly at the park.

The changes will come into effect on June 5, 2023.

And Eurostar is yet to resume services via Ashford and Ebbsfleet and is unlikely to until at least 2025.

The rail company has blamed its financial recovery from the Covid pandemic as a reason for cutting down services.

It also explained that it will still be monitoring developments to post-Brexit travel restrictions.

Eurostar chief executive Jacque Damas also said that new Brexit checks have reduced the capacity at London St Pancras by a third.

He added that by running fewer trains they have avoided travel chaos seen at airports and the Dover border.

He explained: “It is only the fact that Eurostar has capacity-limited trains and significantly reduced its timetable from 2019 levels, that we are not seeing daily queues in the centre of London similar to those experienced in the Channel ports.”

Last week, Brits travelling to France by car were urged to fill up with petrol before crossing the channel because of strikes.

An estimated 25 per cent of petrol stations rab out of fuel due to industrial action from workers at French oil refineries.

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Eurostar has already reduced services between the UK and France[/caption]