Rail strikes hit Belgium and France

Travellers heading for Europe this week face disrupted journeys due to two separate strikes.

A 24-hour stoppage by Belgian rail workers, which started at 10pm on Monday, will hit high-speed international services as well as domestic rail travel.

Eurostar said only one of its London services on Tuesday was likely to travel through to Brussels on the assumption that the 24-hour stoppage ends on time at 9pm UK time.

There will also be no high-speed onward rail connections with other train companies from Brussels to destinations in France, the Netherlands and Germany.

Eurostar is advising all travellers to and from Belgium on Tuesday that they should change their travel plans, and exchange their tickets for alternative dates or obtain refunds by contacting their original point of sale.

A 36-hour stoppage by general workers in France, starting at 7pm UK time on Wednesday, is expected to affect the pre-bank holiday plans of many Britons.

Although Eurostar services to Paris are expected to operate as normal during this French strike, there is likely to be severe disruption for all Britons travelling within France, including those who have flown to, or taken trains to, Paris.

A spokesperson for the National Railway Company of Belgium acknowledged that the strike would be "very bad for our clients".

"We informed everybody as much as we could that there will be a problem tomorrow so we hope that everybody will find a solution to get to place they need to be at tomorrow," said Erik Sclep.

Belgium's four rail unions have rejected a two-year package offering extra pay in exchange for curbs on compensation days and part-time work.

The railways' productivity rose by 32 per cent between 2002 and 2006, but not at all in 2007.

Unions said the offer included an average 2 per cent raise in wages only and no premiums for weekend and night shift work.

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