Eurostar trains to Brussels halted by strike

Just one Eurostar train will run from London to Brussels today after strikes crippled the Belgian capital.

The only train running between the cities will be the 7.34pm from London, and there is unlikely to be any high-speed rail connections from Brussels to destinations in France, Holland and Germany.

Passengers were advised to postpone travel. For those who could not wait, there were trains between London and Lille and a shuttlebus on to Belgium.

Wake Wagner, 63, of North Carolina, said he was worried his holiday in Europe could be ruined. "We knew there was a strike in France, but didn't know about Belgium," he said.

Kai Sommer, 48, was travelling home to Germany with partner Birgit Schitte, 42. "I am surprised and angry — we will now miss our train to Germany," he said. "We'll take the bus from Lisle because we have no choice. I understand the workers are unhappy but I don't appreciate being caught on the wrong side of the strikes. I don't understand why it should affect people across Europe and international services like such as the Eurostar. This was my first visit to London, and it has left a bad taste to the end of the holiday because our 10 hour journey home is likely to take 15 hours."

Erlinde de Spiegelein, 22, from Gent, Belgium, said: "I tried to get the train yesterday, and the service left early to avoid the strike starting at 10pm. Now I am forced to get the bus. But I am concerned what happens when I get to Brussels."

Paul Caffrey, 38, was heading on holiday to Bruges, and determined not to let the strikes spoil his break. He said: "We have heard there are limited of numbers of spaces on the buses through to Brussels. If we struggle with onward travel from Lisle, or then on to Bruges itself from Brussels it will be a pain to say the very least."

Eurostar services between London and Paris continue to run normally, despite strikes across the country over President Nicolas Sarkozy's plans to raise retirement age from 60 to 62, and full state pension from 65 to 67.