| Eurostar axes popular ticket type in major blow for UK passengers Posted by ChrisB at 11:02, 25th January 2025 |     |
From the Metro, via MSN
Eurostar will soon scrap a popular ticket type that allows UK passengers to travel to any station in Belgium on a single ticket.
Currently, the Any Belgian Station ticket allows British travellers to disembark at any station after arriving in Brussels on the Eurostar, without the need to book a separate local train journey.
However, this offer will soon be discontinued by the rail operator with a new system being introduced in its place.
From March 31, Eurostar will stop selling Any Belgian Station tickets. The last available travel date for the tickets will be June 14, 2025.
This change is being made at the request of SNCB, the Belgian national railway operator, Eurostar confirmed to Business Traveller.
In its place, a new point-to-point product will be introduced, which will require passengers to select their final destination in Belgium when purchasing their ticket.
For a short period, passengers will need to purchase tickets for connecting journeys across Belgium from other local rail operators, such as SNCB.
However, Eurostar has confirmed that passengers will soon be able to purchase connecting tickets directly through eurostar.com and their mobile app.
A statement on Eurostar’s website read: ‘With this replacement solution, you’ll be able to book your Eurostar and SNCB tickets in one go, directly selecting your origin or destination station in Belgium.
‘You’ll then receive your SNCB ticket to connect in Brussels, Liège or Antwerp.
‘We’re making this change so we can offer connecting journeys to passengers on all routes and not just those travelling between Belgium and the UK.’
According to Business Traveller, Eurostar said the change hopes to offer ‘a clearer and more transparent travel option’ for customers.
The move comes as several low-cost rail train services across Europe announce new routes and affordable ticket prices to travellers, intensifying competition among operators.
In December, train operator Ouigo announced a budget-friendly service between Paris and Brussels. The service offers three daily journeys between Paris Gare du Nord and Bruxelles Midi.
However, unlike the Eurostar journey, which takes just one hour and 27 minutes, the Ouigo service takes three hours.
Currently, the Any Belgian Station ticket allows British travellers to disembark at any station after arriving in Brussels on the Eurostar, without the need to book a separate local train journey.
However, this offer will soon be discontinued by the rail operator with a new system being introduced in its place.
From March 31, Eurostar will stop selling Any Belgian Station tickets. The last available travel date for the tickets will be June 14, 2025.
This change is being made at the request of SNCB, the Belgian national railway operator, Eurostar confirmed to Business Traveller.
In its place, a new point-to-point product will be introduced, which will require passengers to select their final destination in Belgium when purchasing their ticket.
For a short period, passengers will need to purchase tickets for connecting journeys across Belgium from other local rail operators, such as SNCB.
However, Eurostar has confirmed that passengers will soon be able to purchase connecting tickets directly through eurostar.com and their mobile app.
A statement on Eurostar’s website read: ‘With this replacement solution, you’ll be able to book your Eurostar and SNCB tickets in one go, directly selecting your origin or destination station in Belgium.
‘You’ll then receive your SNCB ticket to connect in Brussels, Liège or Antwerp.
‘We’re making this change so we can offer connecting journeys to passengers on all routes and not just those travelling between Belgium and the UK.’
According to Business Traveller, Eurostar said the change hopes to offer ‘a clearer and more transparent travel option’ for customers.
The move comes as several low-cost rail train services across Europe announce new routes and affordable ticket prices to travellers, intensifying competition among operators.
In December, train operator Ouigo announced a budget-friendly service between Paris and Brussels. The service offers three daily journeys between Paris Gare du Nord and Bruxelles Midi.
However, unlike the Eurostar journey, which takes just one hour and 27 minutes, the Ouigo service takes three hours.
