Eurostar cancels services as heatwave continues

Eurostar has cancelled several departures between London and Paris this week as the heatwave across England and France builds.

The company says on its website that selected journeys between St Pancras International and Gare du Nord have been axed “due to expected adverse weather on the Eurostar network”.

It is also offering customers a range of options as it is “experiencing extremely hot weather conditions across our destinations, which may impact your travel experience”.

Flexible travel options are available up to Saturday (June 27) with the company saying: “If you’d prefer to travel in more comfortable conditions, you can exchange your ticket free of charge and travel at a later date in the same class (subject to availability).”

A spokesperson told Travel Weekly: “The extreme heat conditions are impacting rail infrastructure as well as some Eurostar operations.

“Eurostar continues to operate the majority of its trains on both cross-Channel and continental routes with a small number of cancellations. Affected customers are being informed directly.

“At the request of Infrabel (Belgian infrastructure network operator), as from Thursday June 25, high-speed trains operating between Brussels and the French border will run at reduced speeds by day resulting in extended journey times. This does not affect London-Paris trains.

“Eurostar advises its vulnerable passengers to postpone their journey where possible. Eurostar customers can change their journey for free if they wish to travel outside the heatwave.

“Eurostar encourages customers to take appropriate precautions and stay hydrated throughout their journey. Complimentary water is being distributed on board and in stations to ensure passengers remained well hydrated as part of Eurostar’s Solstice hot weather plan.”

On Tuesday (June 23), the UK Foreign Office updated its advice for travellers heading to France, Spain and Portugal, adding new information about extreme temperatures to the ‘Safety and security’ pages for each destination.

France saw its hottest June day on record on Tuesday, reaching an average of 29.8C, and more than half the country is on red alert.

More: FCDO updates France, Spain and Portugal advice amid heatwave