If you’re one of the many passengers whose holiday travel plans have been dashed by Channel Tunnel chaos, this is the help and compensation you should be getting.
Eurostar rules
Under Eurostar’s customer charter, travellers have a choice of three options in the event of cancellations or delays of an hour or more.
The options are:
Exchange your booking to travel in the same class at a different time or date;
E-voucher: Cancel your booking and claim a voucher, to be redeemed within 12 months from eurostar.com;
Refund: Cancel your booking and claim a refund for the value of your ticket (but not for any booking or exchange fees).
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Eurostar says passengers have three months to decide which option to take. Refunds will be processed within 28 days.
If a customer travels on the next available service the same day, they are also entitled to claim delay compensation.
Stuck overnight?
If you cannot continue your journey on the day of travel, Eurostar says it “may” be able to cover expenses incurred as a direct result of the delayed or cancelled train. This includes overnight accommodation; food; transport between the station and your accommodation; and the cost of calling anyone who was waiting for you at your destination.
To claim, you’ll need to fill in a form on Eurostar’s website, so make sure you have your tickets, receipts and bank details to hand.
LeShuttle rules
Drivers using this service are entitled to a full refund in the event of cancellation.
The rules for delays are less generous, with customers offered a voucher if they’ve waited for an hour or more.
This is where travel insurance comes in handy, often facilitating claims against advanced bookings like hotels and activities – so check if you’re covered.
What does the government say?
Shadow transport secretary Richard Holden has called on the government to ensure passengers are “properly compensated” for the “chaos”.
Department for Transport guidance stipulates that when trains are delayed for more than an hour, passengers should be offered:
Meals and refreshments “in reasonable relation to the waiting time” if these are available on the train or station or can be reasonably supplied;
Accommodation and transport when an overnight stay is necessary.
What does “reasonable” mean?
When disruption causes delays to a “very large number of passengers”, it is not considered reasonable to expect an operator to distribute refreshments, according to the DfT.
Operators should put in place alternatives, such as a voucher system, it says.
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LNER free travel offer
Anyone who had to abandon their journey to London King’s Cross on an LNER train due to the disruption on Tuesday is allowed to travel back home for free using the same ticket, the East Coast Main Line operator said.
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Customers choosing to defer their Eurostar travel to a different day may also use their existing LNER ticket to travel.
