Striking Belgian workers will disrupt Eurostar and other rail services

Eurostar is to suspend services to Brussels from 10pm tomorrow, due to a planned 24-hour strike by Belgian workers.

The industrial action is expected to cause “major disruption” to the country’s rail network, according to the operator, which aims to resume services to the city at 10pm on Wednesday night.

All trains to Brussels during the walk-out will instead terminate at Lille, in France, but Eurostar advised affected passengers to exchange their tickets for travel on a different date. It is allowing those customers to do so free of charge.

Alternatively, they can claim a full refund if they wish to cancel their trip, but must make a claim within the next two months.

“Eurostar strongly recommends that all passengers travelling to or from Brussels on Wednesday October 3 (or on the 19:04 departure from London on October 2) should exchange their tickets for travel before or after,” it said in a statement. “Eurostar will offer refunds or exchanges free of charge regardless of ticket conditions, but subject to availability on alternative services.”

Passengers due to travel to Lille on Wednesday were warned that a revised timetable will be in operation, which will be posted on the Eurostar website. It adds that services to and from Paris, and Disneyland Paris, will not be affected.

See www.eurostar.com for more information.

Eurostar’s services over the weekend were also subject to disruption, due to engineering work.

Meanwhile, cross-Channel ferry operator Brittany Ferries will resume tomorrow after staff in France called off their strike. Services between Britain and destinations in France and Spain had been suspended since September 21.