French railways attacks: How to get compensation from Eurostar

The epic (if controversial) opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics was almost overshadowed by total travel mayhem – with a series of arson attacks on several French high-speed lines causing severe disruption on the network, including Eurostar.

One in four trains were cancelled that Friday (26th July) and despite their best efforts to repair the high-speed lines, French rail company, SNCF, estimated the incident to last for the entire weekend.

Eurostar urged passengers to either get a refund or postpone their travel as much as possible – warning that any trains that ran would have their journey times extended by an hour and a half minimum. 

What can you do if you were affected? 

There are two possible scenarios when it comes to compensation. 

If your train was delayed during your journey

You can get compensation if the delay is above 60 minutes. Eurostar requires you to wait 24 hours after the end of your journey to allow them to log the delay in their database and make it easier to claim your money. 

Depending on how long you’re delayed, as well as how you wish to receive your compensation (e-voucher or cash), the amount you can claim will vary. 

Between 60 to 119 minutes delay, you are entitled to: 

• 30% of the cost of the affected leg as a Eurostar e-voucher
• 25% of the cost of the affected leg as a cash refund

For any delay above 120 minutes, you can claim: 

• 75% of the cost of the affected leg as a Eurostar e-voucher
• 50% of the cost of the affected leg as a cash refund

In order to get your compensation, you’ll have to fill their online form. (If your booking includes more than one person, you’ll have to fill one form for each person on the booking). 

You have three months from the date you were due to travel on the train to claim a partial refund or e-voucher.

If you have issues completing the form or experience difficulty reaching out to Eurostar, you can raise a complaint or claim using Resolver. 

Your train is cancelled or announced as delayed before departure

If you booked your ticket with Eurostar, they should get in touch with you via email to inform you of the cancellation. In this case, you can:  

• Change your booking to travel in the same travel class at a different date.  
• Cancel your booking and claim an e-voucher. You will have 12 months to redeem it on Eurostar website
• Cancel your booking and get a refund*. Eurostar will process your request within 28 days. 

If you have not booked directly with Eurostar, you will have to contact the company or agent you booked with.

Still struggling to get your compensation or get in touch with Eurostar? 

We’re here to help! You can use Resolver to get in touch with Eurostar customer support. Our service is free of charge and we don’t take any commission on the money you get back. 

Start your Eurostar claim with us now! 

We also have resources and guides to help you know your rights when travel goes wrong. 

And if you’re worried that your travel insurance isn’t up to the task of keeping your bookings safe, you can use our insurance comparison tool to get the best deal. 

If you have any thoughts on this topic, or any other consumer issues you would like us to cover, feel free to get in touch with us at support@resolver.co.uk.