Passengers hit by travel chaos after Eurostar line set on FIRE near Brussels
EUROSTAR services between London and Brussels have been disrupted after signalling cables were set alight in a suspected arson attack.
Eurostar passengers faced long delays after the line was set on fire in Belgium
Passengers were forced to wait in long queues at St Pancras Station after a number of trains were cancelled or delayed after the act of vandalism near Brussels.
The act of vandalism was called "a serious attack" by Belgium's railway operator Infrabel, who said cables were set on fire at four locations near the town of Ath, close to the French border.
Infrabel spokesman Frédéric Sacré said: "We initially thought the cables had been stolen, but that wasn't the case.
"This was a deliberate act of vandalism against the signalling system."
Mr Sacré added: "In this current climate, it must be made clear that this was not an attempt to derail a train, but that does not take anything away from the fact that this was a serious attack against our infrastructure."
Passengers have been told to expected delays while the line is fixed
This was a serious attack against our infrastructure
Six services between London and Brussels - via Lille in northern France - were initially cancelled after trains were diverted onto slower tracks.
Passengers whose trains were still running earlier today were told to expect delays of up to two hours.
Belgium's train operator called the vandalism a "serious attack"
A Eurostar spokesman said it hoped the disruption would clear before Monday evening but warmed that normal service was dependent on the high-speed line being restored.
If travelling to/from Brussels/Lille today journey times may be up to 60 minutes longer. Please arrive for check in at the usual time.
— Eurostar (@Eurostar) November 30, 2015
Thalys and TGV trains travelling between Lille and Brussels were also affected.
Due to the issue between Brussels and Lille we're expecting delays of up to 120 minutes on our trains travelling between Brussels and London
— Eurostar (@Eurostar) November 30, 2015
Eurostar passengers have been told to expect delays of up to an hour tonight.
Police in Belgium are examining the locations where the Eurostar line was vandalised.
Thalys and TGV trains have also been affected