Transportation security

Eurostar advises passengers not to travel unless 'absolutely necessary'

The high-speed railway service Eurostar has cancelled four trains today and stopped selling tickets until Tuesday, March 19, as a precautionary measure.

French customs officers — members of the union UNSA-Douanes — at Paris Gare du Nord continue to take part in a work-to-rule protest that aims to show the chaos that could happen at customs checks after Brexit.

As a result of the strikes, the regular pre-departure security checks are taking longer than usual and causing severe delays on departures from Paris.

Eurostar is an international operator, which means all passengers are subject to customs checks before departure. Trains to and from Brussels are not being cancelled although may be subject to slight delays, according to Eurostar.

"We are very sorry for the inconvenience this is causing passengers," a Eurostar spokeswoman told Euronews.

"Our teams are working very hard to look after customers, and to provide as much flexibility as possible, we are offering a free exchange or refund to any passenger who would prefer to postpone their trip."

The company said it was now up to the French government to respond to the customs officers' union.