https://www.theguardian.com/money/2020/feb/19/eurostar-delay-security-missed-connectionWe used Eurostar to travel from London to Brussels for a connecting service to Cologne last August. As we approached Brussels, there was an onboard announcement that the connecting Deutsche Bahn train to Cologne was delayed by an hour and would no longer be stopping at Brussels Midi.
Affected passengers were instructed to travel from Midi to Brussels Nord to catch the train. We did so, only to find the Cologne train had not been delayed by an hour and had already left.
We headed back to Brussels Midi but there was no connection to Cologne. We returned to the Eurostar terminal where there were about 70 fellow travellers who had also missed their connection.
Staff assured me that Eurostar would arrange a hotel for us at its expense. Ten minutes later, we were told management had decreed that they were not liable for the missed connection, and that it was up to us to sort out accommodation and forward travel plans.
Security staff were forcibly stopping Eurostar customers filming when we demanded the manager explain in person, and insisted they delete any footage.
Our request for the manager’s name was refused. The manager then appeared with three armed security staff. The atmosphere was now threatening and my partner and I left to find a hotel.
Eurostar has since accepted no responsibility for its misleading announcement. It has apologised for the behaviour of staff in Brussels but states that it’s an internal matter and will be dealt with by them, and that’s the end of it. LN, Worcester
It's clear that the customers had two tickets, the first from London to Brussels and another from Brussels to Cologne. It is unclear who the retailer of the tickets was, but of course, the Eurostar website issues "split" tickets in this way without telling you that's what it's doing, so it could well have been them.
Eurostar told the guardian that they were "...not able to support delays from Brussels, where their journey with us had finished." - they did not accept responsibility for the incorrect information provided by their train manager, blaming Deutsche Bahn.
Deutsche Bahn agreed only to provide vouchers for the cost of the second ticket. Notable that this was not cash, and they did not cover the cost of the customer's hotel. It is assumed that DB conveyed the stranded customers on their first service the following morning.
All in all, a pretty appalling situation. You can book a through itinerary on the Eurostar website, paying perhaps £150 - 200, and then simply be abandoned and left to deal with the consequences of the disruption yourself. Neither company has acted in a particularly consumer-friendly way, and both seem to be doing their best to convince me not to use their services in conjunction with one another.
Soon, through tickets between London and German stations will be unavailable, and this mess will be the only way to travel.
Last edited: