Eurostar passengers travelling to and from Belgium are being told to build in extra time on Sunday, 27 September 2026, after the operator posted multiple ‘Travel Updates’ flagging serious disruption across its network. According to the alert, morning and early-afternoon trains originating in Amsterdam Central are arriving late into Brussels-Midi/Zuid because exit passport formalities in the Dutch capital are taking longer than anticipated under the European Union’s new Entry/Exit System (EES). The same notification cites ‘traffic issues on the Eurostar network’ that are rippling through the tightly-timed Brussels–London service pattern. Under the EES regime, non-EU travellers must complete biometric fingerprint and facial-image capture before boarding. Staffing shortages at the temporary control zone in Amsterdam have meant that the formalities can take several minutes per passenger, creating a ‘back-up effect’ on the wider timetable. Business travellers heading for meetings in London or Paris via Brussels-Midi are advised to arrive at the station at least 90 minutes before departure, as check-in, security screening and UK Border Force controls remain unchanged once trains reach Belgium. Eurostar has activated its contingency plan, including pro-actively re-booking affected customers on later trains and relaxing change-fee rules for tickets dated 27 September. For mobility managers, the episode is an early stress-test of how the EES will interact with through-ticketed high-speed rail in the Benelux corridor. Companies with time-sensitive itineraries are urged to brief travellers on potential knock-on delays, and to build flexible layovers into any onward flight schedule from Brussels Airport until the new border technology beds in.
Source: Eurostar Travel Updates
