https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from France in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Eurostar has confirmed that it will begin its rollout of the EU's new biometric border checks on October 12th, but only for certain passengers and on a voluntary basis. The big launch will come in 2026. https://www.thelocal.fr/20250923/eurostar-to-begin-voluntary-ees-checks-in-october-before-main-january-launch Tue, 23 Sep 2025 19:41:59 +0200 eurostar-to-begin-voluntary-ees-checks-in-october-before-main-january-launch More than 800 passengers on a Eurostar train from Brussels bound for London were stranded for nine hours in northern France on Sunday after a technical failure, the rail operator said. https://www.thelocal.fr/20250706/london-bound-eurostar-train-stranded-9-hours-in-northern-france Sun, 06 Jul 2025 23:55:06 +0200 london-bound-eurostar-train-stranded-9-hours-in-northern-france Eurostar passengers travelling to France from London have potential good news to look forward to after the owner of London St Pancras station unveiled plans which he said would more than double passenger capacity. https://www.thelocal.fr/20241211/st-pancras-promises-to-double-capacity-for-train-passengers-to-europe Wed, 11 Dec 2024 18:06:44 +0100 st-pancras-promises-to-double-capacity-for-train-passengers-to-europe Eurostar's chief has threatened to scrap the rail route to the Netherlands from 2025 because of doubts over when Amsterdam's international terminal will reopen. https://www.thelocal.fr/20240919/eurostar-says-may-scrap-links-to-amsterdam-from-2025 Thu, 19 Sep 2024 19:03:10 +0200 eurostar-says-may-scrap-links-to-amsterdam-from-2025 Eurostar could be forced to cut the number of trains when the EU's new biometric border checks (EES) are rolled out in October, the owner of London's St Pancras International Station has warned. https://www.thelocal.fr/20240205/ees-eurostar-could-limit-services-over-new-biometric-passport-checks Mon, 05 Feb 2024 19:39:10 +0100 ees-eurostar-could-limit-services-over-new-biometric-passport-checks Many travellers are opting to take a plane rather than train between London and Paris despite climate concerns and the Eurostar rail service connecting the two capitals in just over two hours. https://www.thelocal.fr/20240124/london-paris-travellers-snub-expensive-eurostar-for-plane Wed, 24 Jan 2024 09:45:13 +0100 london-paris-travellers-snub-expensive-eurostar-for-plane Unvaccinated travellers from the UK arriving on the Eurostar will now have to take a Covid test on arrival in France, the Paris police chief has announced. https://www.thelocal.fr/20211102/paris-imposes-covid-tests-on-unvaccinated-arrivals-from-uk Tue, 02 Nov 2021 09:59:06 +0100 paris-imposes-covid-tests-on-unvaccinated-arrivals-from-uk Spanish railway company Renfe wants to begin a high-speed train service between Paris and London, taking advantage of the slots still available in the tunnel under the English Channel, the company said on Tuesday. https://www.thelocal.fr/20211026/spanish-rail-company-to-bid-for-paris-to-london-route Tue, 26 Oct 2021 19:39:21 +0200 spanish-rail-company-to-bid-for-paris-to-london-route Getlink, the operator of the Channel Tunnel link between France and Britain, reported on Thursday deepening losses in the first half of the year as Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic hit traffic flows hard. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210722/mounting-losses-for-channel-tunnel-operators-as-travel-bans-and-brexit-hit-business Thu, 22 Jul 2021 13:31:09 +0200 mounting-losses-for-channel-tunnel-operators-as-travel-bans-and-brexit-hit-business The news that Eurostar is in serious financial trouble has stirred strong interest on both sides of the Channel, here one British writer explains in a Twitter thread why the service is vital for both the UK and France. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210120/opinion-eurostar-is-a-vital-service-for-both-france-and-the-uk-and-should-be-saved Wed, 20 Jan 2021 17:56:48 +0100 opinion-eurostar-is-a-vital-service-for-both-france-and-the-uk-and-should-be-saved Eurostar, the train operator that runs services through the Channel Tunnel, is in 'a very critical' state after a collapse in travel between Britain and the European continent, a top French rail executive warned on Friday. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210115/eurostar-in-critical-condition-after-collapse-in-travel-between-uk-and-france Fri, 15 Jan 2021 16:48:18 +0100 eurostar-in-critical-condition-after-collapse-in-travel-between-uk-and-france Passengers on Eurostar have been warned about bringing shells that have been turned into souvenirs onto the trains after Paris' Gare du Nord station had to be evacuated. https://www.thelocal.fr/20190513/eurostar-warns-passengers-about-souvenir-bombs-as-wwi-centenary-looms Mon, 13 May 2019 14:54:00 +0200 eurostar-warns-passengers-about-souvenir-bombs-as-wwi-centenary-looms There were more delays on Eurostar trains from Paris on Monday due to the 'exceptionally busy' station. https://www.thelocal.fr/20190429/eurostar-latest-trains-delayed-at-exceptionally-busy-paris-station Mon, 29 Apr 2019 10:00:29 +0200 eurostar-latest-trains-delayed-at-exceptionally-busy-paris-station A long-running protest by French customs staff has lead to cancellations, delays and long queues at Paris Gare du Nord - but what are your rights if you have tickets booked? And should you actually travel? https://www.thelocal.fr/20190415/eurostar-chaos-what-to-do-if-you-are-planning-to-travel Mon, 15 Apr 2019 11:47:46 +0200 eurostar-chaos-what-to-do-if-you-are-planning-to-travel Eurostar passengers faced the return of long queues at Paris Gare du Nord train station on Monday as the protest from French customs officials was stepped up. Unions warned that the work-to-rule protest could get "more intense" in the coming days. https://www.thelocal.fr/20190415/eurostar-latest-long-queues-are-back-at-paris-passport-control Mon, 15 Apr 2019 11:11:47 +0200 eurostar-latest-long-queues-are-back-at-paris-passport-control It looks like good news for weary Eurostar travellers as the company has finally dropped its warning to passengers to avoid all but essential travel due to industrial action by French customs officers. https://www.thelocal.fr/20190403/eurostar-drops-no-travel-warning-services-almost-back-to-normal Wed, 03 Apr 2019 11:46:42 +0200 eurostar-drops-no-travel-warning-services-almost-back-to-normal A man has been charged over the protest that halted Eurostar services for most of Saturday morning, leaving hundreds stranded. https://www.thelocal.fr/20190401/eurostar-latest-man-charged-over-london-protest-as-paris-disruption-continues Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:27:47 +0200 eurostar-latest-man-charged-over-london-protest-as-paris-disruption-continues The beleaguered Eurostar service has warned against all but essential travel from Paris until April 3rd as the French customs protest continues. https://www.thelocal.fr/20190328/eurostar-dont-travel-from-paris-until-april3 Thu, 28 Mar 2019 10:32:23 +0100 eurostar-dont-travel-from-paris-until-april3 Passengers travelling on the Eurostar in Paris faced another day of long delays and serious disruption as French customs agents continued their work-to-rule protest. Eurostar said they had no idea how long the travel misery would continue. https://www.thelocal.fr/20190327/eurostar-latest-long-queues-and-serious-disruption-again-in-paris Wed, 27 Mar 2019 10:35:09 +0100 eurostar-latest-long-queues-and-serious-disruption-again-in-paris French customs union has insisted it will be continuing with the work-to-rule protest that has brought chaos to Paris' Eurostar terminal. https://www.thelocal.fr/20190326/eurostar-latest-no-end-date-in-sight-for-french-customs-protest Tue, 26 Mar 2019 11:19:45 +0100 eurostar-latest-no-end-date-in-sight-for-french-customs-protest