Eurostar passengers have faced disruption (Image: CARLOS JASSO, AFP via Getty Images)
Eurostar passengers travelling to Europe experienced significant disruption due to a fire.
Services between Britain and the Netherlands have faced severe disruption following a blaze near Rotterdam Central station. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office issued a travel advisory on Monday in the wake of last week’s fire.
Last Monday, numerous London–Amsterdam services were cancelled after a fire erupted in a cable duct near Rotterdam Stadion. The incident triggered a substantial power failure that halted rail traffic south of Rotterdam.
“Completely messed up my travel plans, ended up getting the ferry,” one unfortunate passenger caught up in the chaos posted online. Another commented: “We had to take the coach to Brussels. I hope we will get our refund.”
The power cut disabled signalling and switch systems between Rotterdam Centraal and destinations including Dordrecht and Breda.
The fire broke out last week (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
“Eurostar services between the UK and the Netherlands are severely disrupted following a fire near Rotterdam Central station,” the FCDO statement released this morning stated.
“Eurostar has advised that they expect trains to be disrupted until at least 6 July 2026. Travel times are expected to be significantly longer due to trains having to take alternative routes due to fire damage and trains between London and Amsterdam will not stop in Rotterdam.
“If you are planning to travel between the UK and the Netherlands, check the latest information with your travel operator before you travel and the latest updates on the Eurostar website.”
Travellers are advised to confirm arrangements with their booking operator prior to journeying between the UK and the Netherlands.
A statement from the rail operator reads: “Due to fire damage to the railway near Rotterdam, we expect our trains to be disrupted until at least 6 July 2026. Trains running between London and Amsterdam will not stop at Rotterdam and trains running between France/Belgium and Amsterdam will not stop at Schiphol or Rotterdam.
“As these trains need to take an alternative route around the damaged area, journey times will be significantly longer, and seat availability is very limited. We expect the disruption to last until at least 06 July 2026. We apologise for the inconvenience the situation has caused.”
This latest development follows the Foreign Office issuing updated travel guidance for Britons heading to Greece. In the advisory released on Thursday, July 2, the FCDO cautioned that “terrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks in Greece.”
While no travel warnings against visiting Greece are currently in place for British holidaymakers, the FCDO noted that “attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreign nationals.”
The FCDO outlined: “There have been several attacks involving explosives and automatic weapons against Greek institutions, shopping malls, banks, media offices, diplomatic premises and the police.”
One devastating attack occurred on Wednesday, July 1, in which “three improvised incendiary device attacks against the residential properties of Greek political figures killed one person, with four others being injured.”
