Eurostar has updated its travel-information portal with a warning that two peak-time services (trains 9141 and 9148) scheduled for Monday 12 October 2026 have been cancelled because of industrial action by security staff. The notice, time-stamped 15:46 BST on 9 October, comes on top of an already reduced weekend timetable caused by engineering works near Paris-Gare-du-Nord. Although the strike formally takes place in France and Belgium, the fallout will be felt most keenly in London corporate travel programmes. Eurostar carries roughly 10,000 business passengers on a typical Monday; cancellations force travellers onto remaining trains or onto short-haul airlines—adding to Heathrow and Gatwick congestion just days after the start of the autumn conference season. Travel-managers should contact affected employees immediately. Eurostar is offering rebooking within 60 days or full refunds, but seat availability is tight because maintenance work has already cut capacity by about 20 %. For essential same-day trips, companies may need to approve more expensive flexible fares or consider virtual participation if meeting times permit. Passengers connecting to onward TGV or Thalys services face knock-on risks, so contingency hotel budgets should be readied. From a compliance standpoint, remember that Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) enforcement for non-visa nationals began earlier this year. Employees rerouted via air must still hold an ETA or the relevant UK visa for their return leg—even if the original plan was rail. HR teams should double-check that travellers from the EU, US and Canada are enrolled before authorising any itinerary changes. Eurostar and union representatives continue to negotiate, but further short-notice disruption cannot be ruled out. Employers with frequent cross-Channel mobility should monitor the operator’s live-update page and subscribe to National Rail alerts. Building extra lead-time into travel schedules and holding critical meetings mid-week, when strike risk is lower, are prudent interim strategies.
Source: Eurostar Travel Updates
