Fire near Eurostar tracks

BUMMER for them. I've been stuck on a train going nowhere, it's not fun. Though I will say everyone was very calm and well behaved (I wondered how Americans might have reacted....anyway).

Make sure your friends know they can claim compensation for the delay. You have to wait 24 hours to request, but after that it's an easy online process:

https://www.eurostar.com/us-en/travel-info/service-information/claiming-compensation

https://compensation.eurostar.com/#/

Thanks, CL! There were about 4 trains delayed before the next 4 or 5 for today were cancelled.

They have now made it to Paris. :) Maybe via a roundabout route, but it could have been worse. Ha! They were informed about filing for compensation after 24 hours while on the train - either announcement or by a fellow passenger. But I thought that was really good to have been proactively informed.

I'm glad they have arrived.

Events like these are why I don't encourage travelers to do a day trip between the 2 cities. I know Betsy experienced delays last week when 2 people were killed on the tracks.

Oooh, I read about that accident and Betsy’s delay and medical difficulties, but hadn’t connected the two. So so sad.

I agree - I would not be doing a day trip either. But in defense of those who do, just as with any travel you need to know things can potentially go wrong and be ready to readjust.

TTM, exactly.

I'm a big planner. I like to know my plan B and maybe plan C before things go downhill due to strikes, accidents, weather... It's so much easier to get an idea of the backup options while at home than at the airport or wherever in the middle of a meltdown. And I'm always grateful when those plans aren't needed.

It's been a very bad week for Eurostar. The day before Betsy's problems someone else was killed on the tracks in the same area, then the cable theft the day after.

Having plans B onwards is always good. One day last year I was at Heathrow
when the tube, Elizabeth Line and Heathrow Express were all closed due to separate incidents. I needed to get to Victoria to catch a coach- which was later calling at Heathrow, but NE ticket rules don't allow you to start short.
I didn't fancy any of the Waterloo routes (due to expected crowding) or paying extra to use National Express into Victoria so fell back effortlessly onto an ancient pre tube route- London buses all the way via Uxbridge and White City.

I know Betsy experienced delays last week when 2 people were killed on the tracks.

I think that happens a lot. Well, not people getting killed necessarily, but we were stopped and delayed for about 20 minutes because of people "on" the track. I'm not sure what happened or what that meant, but you can view incidents like this on the Eurostar website, and there were a lot of them.