Accessible

travel policy
August 2023

Help when travelling with Eurostar

1
 Contents

A. Commitments to providing assistance ________________________ 4

A1. Booking and providing assistance ____________________________ 5
A2. Information provision _________________________________________ 18
A2.1 Special Assistance Policy documentation including
alternative formats ______________________________________ 18
A2.2 Stations and rolling stock accessibility information ______ 19
A2.3 Passenger journey information (online, at stations,
on trains) _______________________________________________ 36
A2.4 Information points, help points and contact centres _____ 38
A2.5 Website _________________________________________________ 39
A3. Ticketing and fares ____________________________________________ 40
A4. Alternative accessible transport _______________________________ 42
A5. Mobility scooters and mobility aids ____________________________ 42
A6. Delays, disruptions, and emergencies _________________________ 46
A7. Station facilities _______________________________________________ 52
A8. Redress _______________________________________________________ 57

B. Strategy and management ___________________________________ 58

B1. Strategy _______________________________________________________ 58
B2. Management and arrangements _______________________________ 59
B3. Monitoring and evaluation ____________________________________ 60
B4. Access improvements _________________________________________ 62
B5. Working with disabled passengers, local communities
and local authorities ___________________________________________ 64
B6. Staff training __________________________________________________ 65

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A. Commitments to
providing assistance
Eurostar is committed to providing special assistance to customers
travelling on our services. This document outlines Eurostar’s policy
for the provision of special assistance in our stations and on board
our trains. Its purpose is to provide information on the special
assistance available to you when you travel on Eurostar services. It is
intended to help customers travelling on our services, for example:
• Wheelchair users
• Pregnant women
• Customers with non-visible disabilities that may not be immediately
apparent to other people
• Older people
• Customers with visual or auditory impairment
• Customers with communication impairment
• Customers with sensory, psychological or intellectual impairment; and
• Customers whose mobility is impaired by temporary or long-term
conditions
To support this policy, we have also produced a passenger leaflet
called ‘Making Rail Accessible’. This provides key information on
passenger assistance available when travelling with Eurostar and how
to obtain assistance. The passenger leaflet is available online, on
request from the Eurostar team at Eurostar stations and in print and
alternative formats from our contact centre (see section A1 below for
contact information).
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A1. Booking and providing assistance
Eurostar offers an international-only passenger service on a pre-
booked seat basis. Our booking system is bespoke to our operations,
and all special assistance requests are handled directly by us. Eurostar
maintains resources to deliver its passenger assistance service,
including in stations, on board and our contact centre.
Eurostar’s contact centre is the customer contact point to pre-book
special assistance requests for Eurostar journeys. Its opening hours
are set out in the ‘To pre-book assistance’ section below.
Our stations are staffed at all times that customers are able to travel
with us, and special assistance is co-ordinated by the station teams.
It is important that those customers with reduced mobility who are
unable to walk 200 metres unassisted make a booking for a dedicated
space on the train at least 24 hours before their journey. This is to
ensure we have the correct arrangements in place for you in case we
need to evacuate the train for any reason. This space is booked by calling
our contact centre (details in the ‘To pre-book assistance’ section
below). Please see section A5 for more information on this requirement.
There are 2 options for booking assistance:
1. Pre-booking
For a guaranteed special assistance booking on the day of travel, we ask
customers to pre-book 24 hours before travel by calling our contact
centre or by contacting us via our Contact us form that we provide online.
Further information on how to access our Contact us form without
clicking on the hyperlinked text in this document can be found below,
under ‘To pre-book assistance’.
2. Turn-up-and-go
If pre-booking 24 hours in advance is not possible, we ask our
customers to arrive at least 60 minutes before departure of their
booked train. This is considered a ‘non-guaranteed’ special assistance
request. We will still provide the required assistance, but this may not
be for the train which was initially booked. We endeavour to assist
all customers, however on busy days there may be a requirement to
change the customer’s initial ticket free of charge to a later departing
train.
Where special assistance has been arranged before departure of the
customer’s train, we aim to disembark customers within 5 minutes of
arrival at their destination station wherever possible.
Where special assistance has not been requested prior to departure
of the train, meaning that the destination station has less notice to
plan the special assistance required or when there are multiple special
assistance requests for the same train, disembarking may take longer
than 5 minutes. Our priority is to make contact with our customer within
the first 5 minutes of arrival even if disembarking the train may take
slightly longer. At all times our teams work hard to minimise waiting
time.
To pre-book assistance
Special assistance can be arranged by calling our contact centre:
• For the UK and the Netherlands: +44 (0)3432 186 186
• For France: +33(0) 1 70 70 60 99
• For Belgium: +32(0) 2 400 67 76
• Select the desired language, then option 4
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Opening hours:
Monday to Friday: 08:00 – 18:00 (UK time)
Saturday and Sunday: 08:00 – 15:00 (UK time)
UK public holidays: 08:00 – 15:15 (UK time)
Or
By contacting us via our Contact us form. To access this form,
customers should scan this QR code or go to our website,
eurostar.com. The form is linked in the ‘contact us’ section on the
special assistance page. To reach this from the website front page:
• Click on the ‘Travel info’ tab at the top of the front page
• Under the ‘Travel planning’ heading, click on ‘Special assistance’
• This opens the Special Assistance page. Scroll down to the ‘Contact
us’ section for more information and the ‘Contact us’ form link
All customers using our telephone services will have the option to speak
to a customer service representative in either English, French or Dutch.
When Eurostar special assistance is pre-booked by phone or by our
Contact us form, customers will be informed of the special assistance
process in our stations, including information such as:
• Arrival times to the designated special assistance check-in areas in
our stations before boarding
• Where the special assistance meeting points are in located in our
different stations
• Luggage allowance
• Luggage weight
Scan the QR code, follow the steps and select
‘special assistance’ when prompted.
A confirmation email is sent to confirm that the special assistance has
been pre-booked and to inform of the four points above.
Special assistance requests for connecting (non-Eurostar) trains need
to be booked directly with the operator of the connecting service.
On the rare occasions where an special assistance cannot be met, we
will orally communicate the reason to the customer. Depending on the
stage of the journey where the special assistance request cannot be
met, this information will be given to the customer either by our station
staff, on board staff or staff at our contact centre.
Eurostar operates its own system for special assistance bookings and
requests for its journeys. This system books and communicates special
assistance requests made to Eurostar’s station teams. The special
assistance information includes the customer’s seat number and coach
number.
Assistance with luggage
We provide free help with luggage to customers when using our special
assistance service and this should be requested at the time of making
the special assistance booking. To comply with required manual handling
practice at Eurostar, customers may take up to two items of luggage
which should not exceed 85cm in length and weigh no more than 15kg
per item of luggage in all our stations, except Amsterdam and Rotterdam
where the third-party assistance provider does not provide luggage
assistance.
Luggage assistance is provided to the person who requires assistance,
and our teams are unable to help with additional bags of any other
customers travelling with the individual. If any companion of the person
requiring special assistance also has reduced mobility or requires
additional assistance, this should be made known at the time of making
the special assistance request for the first individual. This will help our
teams to make sure that the appropriate personnel are made available to
support.
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St Pancras International, UK
Our dedicated Eurostar assistance team is located at booth number five
at the Eurostar ticket gates. This is located on street level with step-free
access within the Eurostar concourse area.
Assistance with luggage is described in the section above. It is provided
from the Eurostar special assistance team booth (number five) at the
Eurostar ticket gates. Passengers will be assisted with luggage into the
departure lounge and, when it is time to board, the luggage will be taken
to the train and placed on board.
French stations
In our French stations special assistance requests are managed by third
party assistance providers.
Paris Gare du Nord, France
Customers who have pre-booked special assistance are asked to go to
the main station special assistance waiting area in Gare du Nord. This is
located at street level with step-free access from the street entrance to
the main station, opposite platforms six and seven. A special assistance
service provider will accompany our customers from their arrival to the
special assistance meeting point, to the train and designated seat.
Customers who are unable to pre-book an assistance at least 24 hours
in advance, yet require assistance on the day of travel (turn-up-and-go,
non-guaranteed assistance request), please note that Gare du Nord
has a different meeting location for these types of assistance requests:
Customers must proceed to the Eurostar mezzanine in the main station
hall (this is above the pre-booked special assistance meeting point).
To access the departure mezzanine, there are:
• Two lifts located at the main entrance of the station, opposite
platforms twelve and thirteen
• One escalator and one stairway, both located on street level to the
right of the main station hall opposite platform nineteen
• Signposts indicating the Eurostar departure area within the station
Customers must present themselves to a member of Eurostar staff.
Staff can be found at different locations along the mezzanine and near
the ticket gates. Eurostar staff will invite the customer(s) to wait in
a waiting area located in the Eurostar ticket office on the mezzanine.
They will then contact the third-party special assistance team,
Challancin, and inform them that there is a turn-up-and-go special
assistance request. The special assistance team will then come and
meet the customer(s) and manage the special assistance request from
there.
Lille Europe, France
Customers who have pre-booked special assistance at least 24 hours
before their departure via our contact centre, should go to the main
special assistance waiting area located in the main station at the opposite
end to the main Eurostar departures area.
Customers who are unable to pre-book an special assistance at least 24
hours in advance in advance, yet require special assistance on the day of
travel (turn-up-and-go, non-guaranteed special assistance request),
please note that Lille Europe has a different meeting point for these
types of special assistance requests:
Customers must proceed to the Eurostar ticket office, located to the
right of the main Eurostar check-in area and speak to a member of
Eurostar staff.
The main station special assistance waiting area is managed by a third-
party assistance provider, N-Assist.
The Eurostar special assistance provider will assist customers from the
designated special assistance meeting point in the station, to the train
and designated seat.
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Belgian stations
Brussels-Midi/Zuid, Belgium
All customers, whether special assistance has been pre-booked at least
24 hours before their departure via our contact centre or if a customer
requires special assistance on the day of travel (turn-up-and-go, non-
guaranteed special assistance request), are asked to proceed to the
Eurostar ticket gates area and speak to a member of staff at the main
Eurostar welcome desk. This desk is located next to the Eurostar ticket
gates.
Entrance to the Eurostar area is located on street level. If entering the
station from Avenue Fonsny, the Eurostar departure area is located on
the right-hand side.
Eurostar special assistance colleagues will assist customers from
their arrival at the main assistance waiting area located in the Eurostar
terminal through to escorting to their seats on board.
Dutch stations
Amsterdam and Rotterdam Centraal, the Netherlands
In the Netherlands, the assistance process is managed first by a third-
party assistance provider (NS – the Dutch domestic rail operator), and
then by Eurostar. Customers are only required to pre-book assistance
with Eurostar for a Eurostar journey.
All customers, whether that’s a customer who has pre-booked an
assistance at least 24 hours before their departure via our contact
centre or if a customer requires assistance on the day of travel (turn-
up-and-go, non-guaranteed assistance request), must go to the
designated meeting points in each station.
• In Amsterdam this is the OV Information Service Desk
• In Rotterdam this is the VVV Information Service Desk
In Amsterdam this service desk is located at the beginning of the main
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central hall as you enter the station from the front entrance, Stationsplein
city side. The nearest platforms are platforms one and two.
In Rotterdam there are two different assistance meeting locations,
the first information service desk is located in the middle of the main
central hall as you enter the station from the main front entrance,
Weena road – Stationsplein and the second information service desk
is located 25 metres further down the concourse at the Ticket and
Service desk.
All assistance meeting points in Amsterdam and Rotterdam are staffed
by the NS assistance provider who accompanies our customers to the
main entrance of the Eurostar terminal, where a member of Eurostar
staff will greet them at the welcome desk and continue the assistance.
If customers require further information or assistance, they can contact
NS Assistance directly:
• By telephone: +3130 235 78 22 ; or
• Online at: https://www.ns.nl/en/travel-information/traveling-with-a-
disability/ns-travel-assistance.html
Connections to other services
For customers at London St Pancras transferring between Eurostar
services and other domestic rail services, assistance is provided by
Eurostar staff within the Eurostar departure concourse and restricted
zones, i.e. secure areas (Eurostar departures, arrivals and platforms).
Outside of the restricted zone, assistance is provided by Network Rail
High Speed staff.
Eurostar’s assistance team will contact Network Rail High Speed staff
to continue the customer’s journey, for example to other rail providers
within St Pancras Station.
In our stations in Belgium, France and the Netherlands, assistance
for customers transferring to other services is provided by the local
assistance teams that are in charge at that station.
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Wheelchair user spaces
All Eurostar trains have four wheelchair user spaces.
To book a wheelchair user space, customers can either:
• Book directly via the Eurostar website, eurostar.com
• On the home page, the link to book a wheelchair space on board
is below the yellow ‘search’ button in the booking search box
‘wheelchair’
Or by calling the Eurostar contact centre:
• For the UK and the Netherlands: +44 (0)3432 186 186
• For France: +33(0) 1 70 70 60 99
• For Belgium: +32(0) 2 400 67 76
• Select the desired language, then option 4.
Eurostar contact centre hours of operation :
• Monday to Friday: 08:00 – 18:00 (UK time)
• Saturday and Sunday: 08:00 – 15:00 (UK time)
• UK public holidays: 08:00 – 15:15 (UK time)
Priority seats
All Eurostar trains have priority seats with additional leg room located
at the entrance of coaches. You can find a map of the location of our
priority seats in each of our e300 and e320 trains in our ‘Accessibility
Rolling Stock Guide’ leaflet.
Priority seats can be reserved either via using ‘manage my booking’
online or by calling the Eurostar contact centre.
Ramps
Ramps are available at all Eurostar stations. They are designed to
facilitate step-free access on and off of our trains. Ramps are deployed
to specific coaches of our trains by the assistance team as part of an
assistance request. For our e300 trains, this is coaches 9 and 10, and for
our e320 trains, this is coaches 3 and 14.
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Limitations and temporary restrictions
If any accessible facilities which our customers rely on in our stations or
on our trains become temporarily unavailable, we will update customer
and colleague information as soon as possible.
Guide and assistance dogs/cats
Guide and assistance dogs and assistance cats travelling with their
owners as an auxiliary aid are permitted on Eurostar services. There is no
charge for the guide and assistance dog or cat’s ticket.
To travel, they must meet current UK Animal and Plant Health Agency
requirements – links to these requirements can be found below this
section of the policy under the heading ‘Websites’. It is the owner’s
responsibility to ensure that their guide or assistance dog or assistance
cat meets these criteria and can produce the required documentation to
enter or leave the UK.
At the time of writing this policy, these include:
• A valid Pet Passport or Animal Health Certificate or Pet Health
Certificate,
• Up to date vaccines and treatments, and
• A microchip (or tattoo done before 1st July 2011) for the dog or cat
In addition, to travel there must be a valid Eurostar ticket for both the
owner and the guide or assistance dog or cat.
In order to travel, we will ask for basic information via a pre-approval
form regarding the dog or cat at the time of booking. The pre-approval
form, once accepted as complete, is valid for 12 months. After this time,
another form will be required to be completed.
During the 12-month validity period, the customer must still call our
contact centre at least 24 hours before departure to book a ticket for
themselves and for their dog or cat, but they will not need to fill out the
pre-approval form.
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There is no charge for a guide or assistance dog or assistance cat’s
ticket, which can be booked via our contact centre (details in ‘To
pre-book assistance’ section of this document) or alternatively, if the
owner’s ticket to travel has already been booked, by using our
‘Contact us’ form. Select ‘Yes’ to indicate there is an existing booking,
then provide the booking reference and click on ‘Submit’, then
• Select ‘Special Assistance’, then
• ‘Assistance Animals’ to request that the dog or cat is added to
customers booking (if availability allows).
A maximum number of four guide or assistance dogs or assistance cats
(in total) are permitted per train. It is important that customers contact
us at least 24 hours before they travel and declare the intention to
travel with a guide or assistance dog or assistance cat and to make the
dog or cat’s booking.
We will book a spare seat next to the customer to ensure the dog or cat
has enough space. The dog or cat will be on the floor on the window
side and the customer will sit on the aisle side, to ensure the dog or cat
can travel safely.
For the dog or cat’s safety we are unable to book a table of four,
unless you are travelling as a group with the other passengers seated
at that table.
The dog or cat must remain secured (i.e. on a lead, in a harness or be in
a secure and suitable carrier) while at the station and on the train.
Customers who attempt to travel with a guide or assistance dog or
assistance cat but do not have a prior booking or those who do not
produce the required documentation to enter or leave the UK will be
refused access to the train.
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The documentation to be produced must demonstrate: Telephone:
• +44 (0)370 241 1710
• Customer’s ticket • Open: Monday to Friday 08:30 to 17:00 (UK time), closed on UK
• Customer’s passport public holidays
• Dog’s or cat’s ticket • Email: pettravel@apha.gov.uk
• A valid EU pet passport or an Animal Health Certificate
• Dog’s or cat’s microchip or tattoo (if done before the 1st of July 2011) More information regarding auxiliary aids and companion fares can be
• That all vaccinations and treatments required for travel are found below, in section A3 Ticketing and fares.
administered and up to date
• Proof that the dog or cat has been accepted for travel with Eurostar
(validated documentation, a copy of your confirmation email or your
case reference number from Eurostar)

This information is shared with the customer at the time of booking.

Failure to produce the appropriate documentation may result in the
dog or cat being quarantined at the customer’s cost.

No matter where you are travelling to or from, you must arrive at the
station at least 60 minutes before your train departs.

You will need to see a member of Eurostar staff before the ticket gates
so that we can conduct the required pre-departure checks of the dog
or cat’s documents.

If this is not done, we cannot approve the animal for travel.

Detail on the documentation required to allow a guide or assistance

dog or assistance cat to travel out of or enter the UK can be found at:

Websites:
• https://www.gov.uk/bring-pet-to-uk/guide-dogs and/or
• https://www.gov.uk/taking-your-pet-abroad/travelling-to-an-eu-
country-or-northern-ireland

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A2. Information provision
A2.1 Special Assistance Policy documentation
including alternative formats
Our Special Assistance Policy and our Passenger Leaflet can be
downloaded in pdf format from our website.
Alternative formats, of the Passenger Leaflet and Special Assistance
Policy are available. Large print, audio and braille versions may be
requested by calling our contact centre or via our Contact us form.
The Passenger Leaflet and Special Assistance Policy will be supplied
(without charge) within seven working days.
A2.2 Stations and rolling stock accessibility
information
Information describing the accessible features of our stations is set out
below. Information on our rolling stock can be found in a separate PDF
available on our website and on request from our teams in our stations
and contact centre.
Rolling stock information can be provided by email, or in alternative
formats (in braille, large print and audio) within seven working days
(without charge) on request to our contact centre by telephone or via
our Contact us form.

The form can also be found linked in the ‘Contact us’ section on the
special assistance page of our website. To access this from the home
page of eurostar.com, click on the ‘Travel info’ tab at the top of the
page, and under ‘Travel planning’ click ‘Special Assistance’.

Our Passenger Leaflet is also available by asking in our stations. This

will also be indicated by signage in the station.

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Eurostar stations information
All times in the table below are in local time.
London St Pancras International, UK
1. Eurostar terminal staffed
(AM and PM)
5. Location of ticket sales Self-Service Ticket machines
facilities (ticket office and are found in the main Eurostar
/ or ticket machines) concourse area opposite the
ticket gates.
Full time
There are two podiums located
Monday to Saturday: at each end of the concourse.
05:00 to 23:15 These podiums are staffed and
equipped with card readers to
Sunday:
06:30 to 23:15 buy tickets.

2. Step-free access Category A: This station has 6. Catering/food outlets Two takeaway food outlets in
step-free access to all platforms the departure lounge selling
/ the platform food and drink.

3. Designated disabled 12 Food and drink is also available

in and around St Pancras
parking
International station prior to
arriving at the Eurostar ticket
gates.
4. Designated Eurostar There is one designated
Assistance meeting assistance meeting point:
7. Seating There are two dedicated seating
point(s) are
1. Assistance booth five areas for customers who require
located at the beginning assistance
of the Eurostar concourse
1. Located at booth five at the
zone
entrance of the customer
concourse. These seats are
in a non-heated zone and
are fully accessible.
2. Located in the departure
lounge. Seats are located in
a heated zone and are fully
accessible.

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 Seating areas are accessible: 10. Secure station status St Pancras International is part
of the secure station scheme.
Monday to Friday:
04:40 to 19:15 This means that it meets
prescribed safety standards
Saturday:
set by the British Transport
05:15 to 19:30
Police and the UK government’s
Sunday: Department for Transport.
06:45 to 19:30
Ticket gates close 30 mins Paris Gare Du Nord, France
before last departure.

1. Eurostar terminal staffed Full time

8. Toilets Accessible toilets can be found (AM and PM)
both within the main St Pancras Monday to Sunday:
station and in the Eurostar 06:00 to 21:20 for staff and
departure lounge. 06:00 to 23:40 for operations
managers
Toilets in the Eurostar departure
lounge are open: 2. Step-free access Category A: This station has
step-free access to all platforms
Monday to Saturday:
05:00 to 23:15 / the platform

Sunday: 3. Designated disabled 20

06:30 to 23:15
Toilets can be opened with a
press button. Toilets are not
Radar Key controlled.
9. Customer Information The Eurostar part of the station
Systems has visual and aural customer
information systems
parking
4. Designated Eurostar There are two designated
Assistance meeting assistance meeting points:
point(s) are
1. For customers who have
pre-booked assistance,
the designated assistance
meeting point in the main
station on street level,
opposite platforms 5 to 7

22 23
 2. For customers who have not 3. Located in the Eurostar
pre-booked, the assistance departure lounge.
meeting point is located on
the Eurostar mezzanine in Seats are located in a heated zone
the main ticket office. and are fully accessible.
Both have step-free access Seating areas are accessible:
Monday to Sunday:
5. Location of ticket sales The main ticket office located on 06:00 to 21:00
facilities (ticket office and the Eurostar mezzanine and has
/ or ticket machines) step-free access.
8. Toilets Accessible toilets can be found
both within the main Gare du
6. Catering/food outlets There are three takeaway food Nord station and in the Eurostar
outlets in the departure lounge departure lounge.
selling food and drink.
Toilets in our departure lounge
Food and drink is also available are accessible
in and around Paris Gare du
Nord station prior to arriving on Monday to Sunday:
the Eurostar mezzanine. 06:00 to 21:00
Toilets are not Radar Key
controlled
7. Seating There are three dedicated
seating areas for customers who 9. Customer Information The Eurostar part of the station
require assistance: Systems has visual and aural customer
information systems
1. Located in the designated
assistance meeting point in
the main station on street Lille Europe, France
level, opposite platforms 5
to 7. Open 06:00 to 00:00.
1. Eurostar terminal staffed Full time
2. Located in the Eurostar (AM and PM)
ticket office on the Eurostar Monday to Sunday:
mezzanine. 08:30 to 21:00

24 25
2. Step-free access. Category A: This station has
step-free access to all platforms
/ the platform
3. Designated disabled 22
parking
4. Designated Eurostar There are two designated
Assistance meeting assistance meeting points –
point(s) are both have step-free access :
1. Customers who have pre-
booked assistance, the
designated assistance
meeting point in the main
station, Hall 1. Located at
the opposite end of the
Eurostar ticket gates.
2. Customers who have not
pre-booked, the assistance
meeting point is located in
our Eurostar ticket office,
to the right of the Eurostar
ticket gates.
5. Location of ticket sales The Eurostar ticket office is
facilities (ticket office and located in Hall 4 to the right of
/ or ticket machines) the Eurostar ticket gates at the
entrance of the main Eurostar
customer concourse. It has
staffed ticket desks and one Self
Service Ticket Machine.
26
6. Catering/food outlets One takeaway food outlet in the
departure lounge selling food
and drink. Food and drink is
also available in and around Lille
Europe station prior to arriving
at the Eurostar ticket gates.
7. Seating One dedicated seating area
for customers who require
assistance:
Located in the main station
assistance meeting point in
Hall 1. These seats are in a
heated zone and are fully
accessible. Open from 05:15
to 22:30
No designated seats in the
Eurostar departure lounge,
but customers who require
assistance will be given priority
to sit in the seats closest to the
boarding gates.
The departure lounge opens to
customers one hour before the
train departs.
Seats are in a heated zone and
are fully accessible
27
 8. Toilets Accessible toilets can be found
both within the main Lille Europe
station and in the Eurostar
departure lounge.
Toilets in the Eurostar departure
lounge are accessible:
4. Designated Eurostar There is one designated
Assistance meeting assistance meeting point:
point(s) are
Located at the entrance of the
Eurostar customer concourse at
the staffed manual check-in desk
and has step-free access.

Monday to Sunday: 5. Location of ticket sales The International ticket office

08:30 to 21:00 facilities (ticket office and is located to the left of the
/ or ticket machines) entrance to the Eurostar
Toilets are not Radar Key terminal.
controlled
This is the main International
9. Customer Information The Eurostar part of the station SNCB Ticket Office where
Systems has visual and aural customer customers can buy tickets for
information systems Eurostar journeys.

6. Catering/food outlets One takeaway food outlet in the

Brussels-Midi/Zuid, Belgium departure lounge selling food
and drink.

1. Eurostar terminal staffed Full time Food and drink is also available
(AM and PM) in and around Brussels-Midi/
Monday to Sunday: Zuid station prior to arriving at
07:00 to 23:00 (assistance staff) the Eurostar ticket gates.

2. Step-free access. Category A: This station has 7. Seating There are two dedicated seating
step-free access to all platforms areas for customers who require
/ the platform assistance:
1. Located at the entrance of
3. Designated disabled 31 the customer concourse,
parking just before the ticket gates

28 29
 Amsterdam Centraal station, Netherlands
2. Located in the departure
lounge (during check-in
times). 1. Eurostar terminal staffed Full time
These seats are located in (AM and PM)
a heated zone and are fully Eurostar terminal opening hours
accessible. are the following:

Seating areas on customer Monday to Friday:

concourse are accessible: 05:47 to 07:47
11:47 to 13:47
Monday to Sunday: 14:47 to 18:47
06:45 to 23:00
Saturday:
8. Toilets Accessible toilets can be found 05:47 to 07:47
both within the main Brussels- 14:47 to 16:47
Midi/Zuid station and in the
Eurostar departure lounge. Sunday:
11:47 to 13:47
Toilets in the Eurostar departure 14:47 to 18:47
lounge are accessible:
2. Step-free access. Category A: This station has
Monday to Sunday: step-free access to all platforms
06:45 to 20:25 / the platform

Toilets are not Radar Key 3. Designated disabled 4

controlled parking

9. Customer Information The Eurostar part of the station 4. Designated Eurostar The main designated assistance
Systems has visual and aural customer Assistance meeting meeting point is at the entrance
information systems point(s) are of the Eurostar terminal.

30 31
5. Location of ticket sales
facilities (ticket office and
/ or ticket machines)
6. Catering/food outlets
The ticket office is located both
at the entrance and at the rear of
the main station. This is the main
NS Ticket and Service Office
where customers can buy tickets
for Eurostar journeys.
No takeaway food outlets in the
departure lounge.
8. Toilets Accessible toilets can be found
both within the main Amsterdam
Centraal station and in the
Eurostar departure lounge.
Toilets in the Eurostar departure
lounge are accessible 1.5 hours
before the train departs. Toilets
are not Radar Key controlled

Only one coffee machine and 9. Customer Information The Eurostar part of the station
one vending machine selling Systems has visual and aural customer
sandwiches, wraps and snacks. information systems

Food and drink is available in

Rotterdam Centraal Station, Netherlands
and around Amsterdam Centraal
station prior to arriving at the
Eurostar departures area. 1. Eurostar terminal staffed Full time
(AM and PM)
Eurostar terminal opening
7. Seating No dedicated seating area in the hours are:
Eurostar departure lounge.
Monday to Friday:
Customers who require 06:28 to 08:28
assistance will be given priority 12:28 to 14:28
to sit in the seats closest to the 15:28 to 19:28
boarding gates. Saturday:
06:28 to 08:28
The departure lounge opens to 15:28 to 17:28
customers 1.5 hours before the Sunday:
train departs 12:28 to 14:28
15:28 to 19:28

32 33
2. Step-free access. Category A: This station has
step-free access to all platforms
/ the platform
3. Designated disabled 5 to sit in the seats closest to the
parking
4. Designated Eurostar The main designated assistance
Assistance meeting meeting point is at the entrance
point(s) are of the Eurostar Terminal.
5. Location of ticket sales The ticket office is located at
facilities (ticket office and the entrance of the main station.
/ or ticket machines) This is the main NS Ticket and
Service Office where customers
can buy tickets for Eurostar
journeys
6. Catering/food outlets No takeaway food outlets in the
departure lounge.
Only one coffee machine and
one vending machine selling
sandwiches, wraps and snacks.
Food and drink is available in
and around Rotterdam Centraal
station prior to arriving at the
Eurostar departures area.
34
7. Seating No dedicated seating area in the
Eurostar departure lounge.
Customers who require
assistance will be given priority
boarding gates.
The departure lounge opens to
customers 1.5 hours before the
train departs.
8. Toilets Accessible toilets can be found
within the main Rotterdam
Centraal station and in the
Eurostar departure lounge.
Toilets in the Eurostar
departures lounge are
accessible 1.5 hours before the
train departs.
Toilets are not Radar Key
controlled
9. Customer Information The Eurostar part of the station
Systems has visual and aural customer
information systems
35
A2.3 Passenger journey information (online, at
stations, on trains)
It is important for us to make sure it is easy for our customers to have
access to key information. Our aim is to provide relevant, clear, and
accessible information to all our customers, whether that’s during
normal operating times or during times of disruption.
Train departures and arrivals
Eurostar areas of stations are equipped with customer information
screens and audio announcements both on departure and arrival.
There are fixed and mobile screens showing latest information on
train status (departure times, whether ticket gates are open or closed,
boarding gates, and if there is a delay). The same information may
be obtained from a member of staff on the concourse or at the ticket
gate-line.
During disruption, screens are regularly kept updated and our staff
make regular audio updates to keep our customers informed on the
situation. If we are aware of cancellations in advance of the day of
travel, our contact centre team will inform customers and we will also
publish information on our website. When a customer books assistance
they are advised of any service cancellations or significant disruption
to help them anticipate any potential impact to their journey.
We have welcome points allowing customers to be met directly by our
staff on arrival at our Eurostar terminals, see section 2.2 above for
more information regarding the assistance meeting points. Staff are
also available in other areas of the Eurostar area of the station and on
board and can provide information to customers as required.
On board, we have clear visual and aural information provided during
the journey. Announcements are made in time for customers requiring
assistance to prepare to alight.
36
Connections and wayfinding
Staff are trained to provide information on connections with other
modes of transport both prior to the passenger’s journey and when
travelling on our trains and in the stations which we serve. In mainland
Europe all our staff speak the local language (French and/or Dutch)
and English, with some staff members able to speak more than two
languages.
We also provide relevant information on our stations on our website,
eurostar.com. From the home page, click on the ‘Travel info’ tab at
the top of the page, and under the heading ‘Your trip’ click on the
‘Station guides’ tab, this will open the Station guide page. Select your
desired station and click the link ‘find out more’ to open a new page
with the selected station information.
Delays and disruption
This section is covered in section A6, Delays, disruptions and
emergencies.
Options for customers to inform us of problems
Due to the nature of our operation, customers can easily locate our
staff if there is an issue or problem that requires attention.
Our staff are available at the following points:
• Station concourse areas in front of the ticket gates or welcome
points, departure lounge, and at platform level.
• Two train managers on board each train. During boarding and
arrival, they are on the platform, and during the journey passing
through the train at regular intervals. Alternatively, customers can
ask for the train manager at Café Métropole, our on board bar buffet.
There are call points at each of our wheelchair spaces in our trains
for customers who require them.
• Catering crew members are available on board in Café Métropole
and in the Business Premier and Standard Premier coaches.
• Station staff are available on arrival.
37
Eurostar can also be contacted by:
• Our Contact us form on our website
• The following social media platforms:
X (formerly Twitter): twitter.com/eurostaruk
Facebook: facebook.com/eurostar
Or by calling the Eurostar contact centre:
• UK and the Netherlands: +44 (0)3432 186 186
• for France: +33(0) 1 70 70 60 99
• for Belgium: +32(0) 2 400 67
The contact centre’s open hours are :
• Monday to Friday: 08:00 – 18:00 (UK time)
• Saturday and Sunday: 08:00 – 15:00 (UK time)
• UK public holidays: 08:00 – 15:15 (UK time)
If the reported issue will have an ongoing impact for a period of time,
the communication process is outlined in section A6 below.
A2.4 Information points, help points and contact
centres
Welcome information points
At our stations we have staffed welcome points adjacent to Eurostar
ticket gate areas allowing our passengers to have direct contact with
one of our team members upon arrival in the Eurostar area of the
station.
Staff presence
In our station areas Eurostar staff are positioned in prominent
positions to be able to support customers from the welcome point in
the station through to the ticket gates.
Staff can provide information on the station facilities, overall train
information such as departure and arrival times, fares, accessibility
information and other general enquiries.
38
Contact centre
In addition to our staff in stations, customers can also speak directly to
our teams in our contact centre. The telephone numbers and opening
times are in section A2.3 of this document.
All our telephone services provide a text relay number ensuring that
our customers have equal access to communication when contacting
us.
A2.5 Website
We are committed to working towards achieving the industry
recognised WCAG standards. Eurostar is currently in the process
of rebuilding its website, with the aim to meet WCAG 2.2 level AA
standards.
We are doing this by re-writing the company website, educating
developers and designers about accessibility and WCAG 2.2 Level AA
through small workshops, documentation and testing newly created
components (small sections of a webpage), as well as checking entire
webpages for accessibility errors/issues with both automated tools
and manual (human) testing.
Any new features added to the current website before the new website
is launched aim to conform to WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards.
A large amount of pre-travel information is available on our website,
eurostar.com. Additionally, a passenger leaflet to accompany this
document has been produced and is available on our website by
clicking the following link: eurostar.com/uk-en/travel-info/travel-
planning/accessibility
Then scroll down to the <Other special travel needs> section and click
on the <Special assistance guide> tab.
39

The passenger leaflet is also available in braille, large print and audio.
Feedback
We invite our customers who experience any issues accessing
eurostar.com or who wish to report any problems they have
encountered, to contact us by calling +44 (0) 3432 186 186 for
assistance in accessing the relevant content or features or via our
Contact us form on our website.
Social media
Important service information is broadcast via our @eurostar
X (formerly Twitter) account.
Customers can also contact us with questions or feedback on this
account. It is monitored during our contact centre’s open hours (see
section 2.3 above).
Out-of-hours, individual queries are not monitored. However, our on-
call team will post updates in the event of major service disruption.
During the booking process, our customers are asked to give us
A3 Ticketing and fares
Tickets can be bought:
• Online at eurostar.com
• By calling the Eurostar contact centre
• From Eurostar stations. Purchases are possible from Self-Service
Ticket machines located in the Eurostar area of all our stations, as
well as from staff equipped with payment devices to sell tickets by
card. Paris Gare du Nord and Brussels-Midi/Zuid also possess ticket
offices. London, Paris, and Lille stations have Self-Service Ticket
machines where wheelchair user space and companion rate tickets
may be purchased, retrieved or exchanged. In Brussels, wheelchair
40
user space and companion tickets may be retrieved or exchanged,
and tickets purchased from the SNCB ticket office adjacent to the
Eurostar terminal.
• On the Eurostar app, available on the Apple App Store (iOS) or
Google Play Store (Android)
• From third party agents
All customers are required to have a valid ticket in order to travel.
Eurostar provides bookable wheelchair user spaces in Standard
Premier / Business Premier (depending on the designation of the
coach on that journey).
Customers are provided with the option of travelling with a companion if
they require support of another person during their journey. Eurostar’s
on board team are unable to provide in-journey support to customers
who require the support of another person in order to travel.
A wheelchair user customer who requires the support of another
person for the journey can travel with up to two companions. If the
wheelchair user is travelling with one companion, this person will
be allocated the seat located next to the wheelchair user space. If
the wheelchair user customer is travelling with two companions, the
second companion will be allocated the nearest available seat to the
wheelchair user space. Companion fares are offered at a fixed rate.
Up to two companions can accompany a disabled customer and travel
at a reduced rate in any class of travel. To be eligible, all customers
must travel together on all segments of their Eurostar journey.
Guide and assistance dogs and assistance cats travel free of charge
but, as noted in section A1 of this document, must be pre-booked at
least 24 hours in advance of travel. They must travel with the individual
that requires their use as an auxiliary aid. It is the owner’s responsibility
to provide all necessary information and documentation required for
the dog or cat’s international journey.
41
Eurostar does not carry pets on its service. Eurostar only accepts
guide and assistance dogs and assistance cats for travel with the
person requiring their assistance. For more information see section
Guide and Assistance dogs and assistance cats in section A1 above.
Ticket gates
Eurostar ticket gates are staffed. There are also manual booths in our
stations that are staffed during our hours of operation. Ticket gates
in our stations are of a width that they are able to accommodate most
wheelchairs, mobility aids, pushchairs or bulky luggage. We also provide
a manual check-in lane should this be required. The maximum dimensions
for wheelchair and mobility aids can be found in section A5 below.
A4 Alternative accessible transport
If we experience service disruption we work according to the situation
in hand and identify the customer’s needs providing an appropriate
alternative such as a taxi or overnight accommodation. See section A6
Delays, disruption and emergencies for more information.
A5 Mobility scooters, mobility aids and powered
wheelchairs
Wheelchairs
All of our trains have four dedicated spaces that can accommodate
wheelchair users, mobility scooter users or special needs pushchairs,
where these pushchairs are recognised as manual wheelchairs, within
the defined dimensions set out below.
Boarding ramps are designed to safely accommodate these aids within
the designated spaces on board provided that they are no greater than
the following dimensions:
• No more than 700mm (70cm) wide
• No more than 1200mm (120cm) long (including the footplate)
• Maximum weight of 300kg (this includes the weight of the customer)
Wheelchair user space dimensions can also be found in both our
42
passenger leaflet and our rolling stock guide on our website
eurostar.com. To access this document [drafting note: to be updated
once new passenger leaflet is approved – directions below point to
current leaflet:
1. Click on the Travel info tab, located at the top of the page.
2. Under Travel planning, click the Special Assistance tab.
3. Scroll down the page to Other special travel needs
4. Click the Special assistance guide tab
5. Click on the link Special assistance guide to open and download
the PDF
Emergency wheelchairs for use during emergency evacuation by those
travelling in a booked wheelchair user space
There are four emergency wheelchairs, which are narrower than
traditional wheelchairs, provided on board each of our trains.
These emergency wheelchairs fit through the train aisle and are
designed to permit evacuation of customers seated in the wheelchair
user space. Our train managers and on board staff have regular training
on how to use these.
Mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs
We accept mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs on board that are:
• No more than 700mm (70cm) wide
• No more than 1200mm (120cm) long
• Maximum weight of 300kg (this includes the weight of the customer)
• Have an anti-tip device
1. Some powered scooters and powered wheelchairs are only meant
for road use and cannot be used on our trains, so we ask customers
to carefully check the dimensions to ensure their mobility scooter
or powered wheelchair will fit on board. If a mobility scooter or
powered wheelchair exceeds the above dimensions, we will not be
able to accept it on board.
43
2. For safety reasons and to comply with Channel Tunnel
requirements, mobility scooters, powered wheelchairs or other
mobility aids that use combustible fuel are not permitted on
Eurostar trains. Only battery-operated mobility scooters and
powered wheelchairs are permitted to travel on board.
Mobility Scooters, powered wheelchairs and or other mobility aids
requiring power cannot be charged at any point of the journey,
whether that is in our Eurostar stations or whilst inside the train due to
fire safety risk.
If customers are:
• Able to walk more than 200 metres; and
• Can walk up the two steps to board our trains; and
• The mobility scooter or mobility aid is one that can be folded/
dismantled, then we will ask that the customer transfer to a regular
seat. Some models of scooters or mobility aids are not designed to
be transported in an assembled state inside a moving vehicle and
there is less risk of breakages or accident if the customer is able to
transfer into a seat.
However, if customers are:
• Unable to walk more than 200 metres, or
• They are unable to walk up the two steps to board our train, or
• If their mobility scooter or mobility aid cannot be dismantled/folded,
then we will book the customer in one of the designated wheelchair
spaces.
For safety reasons, we require that all mobility aids, (manual or
powered wheelchairs, mobility scooters and similar mobility aids),
when on board are locked to avoid them rolling during the journey.
This rule applies to all customers who either have to stay seated in/
on their mobility aid throughout the journey, or who are given a
designated seat next to their mobility aid.
44
These aids include manual wheelchairs, certain types of special needs
pushchairs, powered wheelchairs and powered mobility scooters,
assistive walking devices, such as walkers or rollators, walking sticks,
walking frames, canes, crutches etc.
We accept certain special needs pushchairs in our wheelchair users
spaces where these pushchairs have been officially recognised as
special needs pushchairs and the following criteria are met:
• They fit within the wheelchair or other mobility aid dimensions
above; and
• On the day of travel, in the station, the customer shows us a
manufacturer or hospital issued certificate confirming that the
pushchair is a special needs pushchair
Smaller items such as walking canes can fit through the security
screening x-ray machines.
If the mobility aid cannot be folded or go through the x-ray door/
machines for security checks, the security team must use detectors to
carry out the necessary checks.
Any bags or satchels that are attached to the mobility device must be
removed and put on the x-ray belt for inspection. A manual pat-down
search and search using a hand-held metal detector are also conducted
for the customer.
If the mobility aid can be folded or dismantled (such as a walker or
rollator), these have to be stored in the on board luggage racks.
Carriage of restricted items
In common with other modes of international passenger travel,
Eurostar has strict requirements on the carriage of certain items and
substances.
Customers who need to travel with doctor prescribed medication
or essential medical supplies such as equipment for diabetes, may
do so and there are no specific requirements when travelling with a
45
small quantity. However, customers travelling with a larger amount of
medication or supplies, are asked to carry an up-to-date prescription
or an official medical letter signed and dated by their doctor.
For customers travelling with a walking aid or another type of aid that
can fit easily into a luggage rack on board, it is not necessary to contact
us in advance of travel.
Customers who have a larger item or an item of unusual proportions or
an item weighing over 15kg are requested to contact us in advance of
their journey. In some cases, customers are required to obtain a formal
confirmation from their doctor of their need to travel with specialist
equipment. This must be carried at all times and presented to security
where requested.
It may be deemed that some equipment can be carried, but only in a
dedicated luggage compartment (depending on size and weight of
item).
Such requests should initially be made to our contact centre, at least 24
hours in advance of the day of travel. However, we advise doing this as
early as possible.
Each request will be considered on a case-by-case basis and will be
forwarded to the relevant department for approval.
Customers who wish to travel with an oxygen cylinder should contact
us before their journey.
46
A6 Delays, disruptions, and emergencies
Disruptions do occasionally affect our services, and when this happens
our train managers and station assistance staff are trained to be aware
of the needs of customers who require assistance and are encouraged
to provide up to date information when available.
Where it isn’t possible to resolve an issue at the time, customers are
able to contact the Traveller Care team by either phone, email or via
social media channels for a resolution.
In the case of a delay on arrival or departure, we will keep customers
informed of the estimated departure time and estimated arrival time as
soon as such information is available.
Before the journey
If a disruption happens before the customer’s journey, where
possible we proactively seek to ensure our customers are able to
continue their journey.
However, if this is not possible, we identify customers who have a
wheelchair space booking or who have pre-booked assistance and will
be affected. We will make effort to contact them using the information
provided at the time of booking and discuss available options, such as
re-booking them onto another train.
All customers are advised to check service information on our website
prior to travel.
Customers who require assistance but have not pre-booked will
have either been notified of the disruption via our website, social
media channels, email or text message if the disruption is known of
in advance and will also be notified by staff on arrival at the station.
Where possible, we endeavour to make alternative arrangements for
customers in need of assistance upon arrival at the station.
When facilities on board our trains are temporarily inaccessible (e.g.
as a result of a breakdown, alteration or removal of facilities) we will
47
endeavour to ensure that customers are advised of this before joining
the train. Where possible we will inform if an accessible toilet is out of
order.
During the journey – on the train
Eurostar trains are equipped with screens in each coach showing the
following information:
• Destination;
• Time of arrival;
• Key safety information; and
• Information relating to delays. This includes the length of the delay in
minutes.
If a disruption occurs during the customer’s journey, train
managers are aware of the number of pre-departure assistance
requests on board. Depending on the severity of the incident, our on
board staff will provide timely and clear announcements for customers.
Train managers communicate with customers who have requested
assistance and update the screens located in each coach with a written
message that informs customers of the disruption.
If the delay leads to missed connections, the train managers will
contact the arrival station in advance so that our team can plan to help
and advise customers for their onward journey.
Customer communications
We have a dedicated team responsible for managing operational
customer information.They:
• Manage disruption-related communications via email and digital
channels; and
• Regularly update our website, app, and social media channels with
the latest updates; and
• Depending on the severity of the disruption, will also communicate
information in the form of banners across the top of our website
pages.
48
In stations
When a disruption situation occurs, the relevant Eurostar station
managers are informed of the situation. They will plan and lead within
the station:
• Station teams are briefed, and a plan of action is activated. An aim of
this is to ensure that team members are positioned on the Eurostar
concourse so that customers are able to access a member of staff;
• Teams are reminded to seek out and help any persons with
accessibility needs;
• On screen information is regularly updated;
• Regular announcements (every 10 minutes) are made in the station
via the announcement system or to customers directly by our team;
• If a customer wishes to change their journey, our team will assist so
that the necessary information regarding the customer’s accessibility
needs is transferred. We would also get help from a third party to
support the new journey;
• If the nature of disruption is severe and extra team members are
needed, an activation of redeployment of Eurostar staff is triggered
In the event of limited resources during periods of disruption and in
order to provide the best possible service on the day of travel and to
prioritise assistance requests, we implement the following process:
On departures
In the event of disruption affecting our service provision on departure
in stations we prioritise any pre-booked assistance and evaluate the
numbers for each train.
For any assistance requests that have not been pre-booked 24 hours
in advance or are considered turn-up-and-go assistance, we explain
to our customers the current situation and that we are prioritising all
pre-booked assistance. We will offer various options that are available
at that time if there are no staff available to perform the turn-up-and-go
assistance, such as:
49
• Changing the train time, free of charge, for the customer;
• Where the request for assistance permits, changing coaches where
an assistance is already taking place (when doubling up is possible,
for example where the luggage presented means that two luggage
assistance in one carriage can take place);
• Offering fast track for customers who are able to board the train
independently. A staff member (or different staff members along
the concourse) will accompany the customer(s) through the
check-in area (from ticket gates, to the departure lounge). The
staff member(s) will seek to make sure that customer(s) get to the
departure lounge as quickly as is possible;
• Liaise with the duty manager for additional help from other trained
staff members to help with departing services
If the Assistance Desk needs to be closed due to any emergency or if
all the staff are helping customers, the station manager will evaluate:
• If it is possible for the desk will be covered by the assistant manager;
and
• If this is not possible, a staff member at the Eurostar departure
area perimeter will be informed of the estimated waiting time for
assistance and that ramp requests can be passed to the assistance
team over the radio.
On arrival
All assistance requests will be met. For these to be dealt with in the
most efficient manner, a priority system is in place to manage situations
where several assistance requests are present on one service. This
means we:
• Put in place any ramps required
• Help visually impaired customers
• Help wheelchair user customers
• Help persons with reduced mobility
• Help older/senior customers
• Help a parent or guardian with child
50
In the event of a number of assistance requests on one service, station
managers will seek additional support from trained staff in the wider
station team. If additional assistance from our operations team is not
available, on board train managers will inform our customers before
arrival that disembarking the train may take longer than usual.
Staff are positioned on arrival to greet customers and provide the
necessary assistance, information and support required and relevant to
the situation. If a train arrives late at night after the last departures of
connecting public transport services our team arranges taxis or hotels
as appropriate. Known specific needs of customers with reduced
mobility or a disability will be identified and taken into account to
provide the appropriate option. As mentioned above, if the disruption
has had an impact on connecting journeys staff will manage the revised
tickets.
If the disruption happens at short notice, such as a last-minute change
of platform on departure or on arrival, we will systematically update
our information screens and regular announcements would be made
in our departure lounges or on board. When a platform change does
occur, our staff in stations and on board will provide assistance and
information to help customers reach the revised departure or arrivals
platform, if available, as efficiently as possible.
Planned disruption – engineering works
Where we are informed of planned engineering works that have an
impact on customers, we contact them accordingly where customers
have supplied contact details to us.
Our communication channels will be updated accordingly, and regular
audio and visual updates made in our stations.
Emergency procedures
Eurostar is required to comply with strict operating requirements in
order to ensure the safety of our customers and employees, including
travel through the Channel Tunnel.
51
One of these requirements is that where a customer has reduced
mobility and requires the use of a wheelchair, they must be able to walk
approximately 200 metres unassisted. This is to allow evacuation in the
event of an emergency in the Channel Tunnel.
To guarantee an evacuation with wheelchair assistance we ask
customers with reduced mobility who are unable to walk 200 metres
unassisted to pre-book at least 24 hours before their journey, by
calling our contact centre to travel in a wheelchair user space. This
ensures that a specially designed evacuation wheelchair is available
for the customer booked in this space. This must be used, and the
customer must be prepared to transfer to this equipment to leave the
train in the event of evacuation.
Emergency plans take into consideration the needs of customers who
have non-visible or visible disabilities.
Each station has emergency plans in place which reflect national
regulations and requirements in each of the countries we operate,
including confirmation that all customers, including persons with
reduced mobility, are evacuated to a safe area should the need arise.
On board all our trains, passenger emergency information cards
are provided in each coach, and the train manager makes an
announcement at each station in English and French indicating the
location of safety information.
A7 Station facilities
Left luggage
There are left luggage facilities in the following stations under the
control of the station operators:
• London St Pancras International
• Paris Gare du Nord
• Lille Europe
• Brussels-Midi/Zuid
• Amsterdam Centraal
• Rotterdam Centraal
52
Disabled car parking provision
Car parking facilities at St Pancras International are restricted, due to
the station’s location in central London.
There is short term parking for 315 cars. Long term parking is not
available at this car park, though there are other privately operated car
parks within a short distance of the station that can provide this facility.
This is not a facility dedicated only for Eurostar customers but is
provided for all users of St Pancras International. The car park is
routinely monitored throughout the day. This monitoring includes
ensuring that those parking in disabled bays display the correct
disabled parking badge. Fines are issued to those drivers who
disregard this requirement.
St Pancras International
Operated by _________________________________________________ NCP
Total number of spaces _______________________________________ 315
Disabled bays __________________________________________________ 12
Open _______________________________________________ 7 days a week
Paris Gare Du Nord
Operated by _________________________________________________ Effia
Total number of spaces ______________________________________ 1200
Disabled bays __________________________________________________ 20
Open _______________________________________________ 7 days a week
Lille Europe
Operated by _________________________________________________ Vinci
Total number of spaces _______________________________________ 668
Disabled bays __________________________________________________ 22
Open _______________________________________________ 7 days a week
Brussels-Midi/Zuid
Operated by _______________________________________________ Q-Park
Total number of spaces _______________________________________ 1715
53
Disabled bays __________________________________________________ 20
Open _________________________________________________________ 24/7
Amsterdam Centraal
Operated by _______________________________________________ Q-Park
Total number of spaces ________________________________________ 360
Disabled bays ___________________________________________________ 4
Open _________________________________________________________ 24/7
Rotterdam Centraal
Operated by _______________________________________________ Q-Park
Total number of spaces ________________________________________ 102
Disabled bays ____________________________________________________ 2
Open _________________________________________________________ 24/7
Set-down and pick-up points
Customers arriving by car or taxi at St Pancras International can use
the dedicated set-down point on Pancras Road, directly adjacent to
the entrance of the international concourse. This provides same-level
access to the station and leads directly to the Eurostar concourse
and special assistance welcome desk. The pick-up point for travellers
is located between the departures and arrivals area, accessible via a
gentle ramp.
At our continental stations, the drop-off and pick-up points are
as follows:
• Paris Gare du Nord – There are three drop off / pick up points:
• Rue de Dunkerque
• Rue de Maubeuge (for taxis only)
• Place Napoléon III
• Brussels-Midi/Zuid – Place Horta
• Lille Europe – Boulevard de Turin, opposite the Suite Hotel
• Amsterdam Centraal – Ij waterfont side, located to the north of
the Centraal Station
• Rotterdam Centraal – There are 2 drop-off and pick-up points:
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• The north side of the station, on Proveniersplein square
• The south side, on Delftseplein square
Ticket gates, security screening and immigration controls
Eurostar is subject to strict security and immigration controls, with
which all travelling customers must comply.
Security screening must be undertaken, without exception, of all
customers and their luggage. Action has been taken to facilitate the
process for customers with reduced mobility.
Ticket gates at our stations have been designed to allow wheelchair
users or those with pushchairs or bulky luggage to use them.
Customers in a wheelchair who are unable to stand may be subject to
a security search via the use of sweep wands, which is a non-invasive
physical search. Any such search is always carried out by specially
trained employees and undertaken with respect and care. This process
is also used for customers travelling with a guide or assistance dog or
assistance cat and any other customer who requires it due to the nature
of their disability.
All our stations have immigration controls on departure. Customers
are required to present their documents to either the French Police
(PAF), Belgian Federal Police, Royal Netherlands Marechaussee and
British Immigration control authorities. The passport booths are glass-
fronted, and induction loops have been installed. Officers may choose
to leave their booth to process a customer if this is appropriate. Those
customers using our assistance service and accompanied by a member
of our team will be supported if required.
In our stations, security checks are undertaken by third parties. However,
we work with these teams to ensure that appropriate consideration is
given to customers with disabilities or reduced mobility.
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Platforms A8 Redress
Except for Brussels-Midi/Zuid station, that does not have tactile paving We work hard to provide help and assistance to our customers. We
on platforms, all the following Eurostar stations are equipped with recognise that, on occasion, things may not go as planned.
tactile paving:
• London St Pancras International We welcome feedback, including complaints, about our service. These
• Lille Europe can be provided by completing our Contact us form and a member of
• Paris Gare du Nord our team will get back to you as soon as they can.
• Amsterdam Centraal
• Rotterdam Centraal Alternatively, we can be reached at our contact centre on +44 (0)3432
186 186. Our phoneline is accessible via Text Relay.
Replacement facilities
If any of our facilities were to be temporarily closed or reduced, Or you can write to us:
we would review with the relevant stakeholders in our stations the
different options that would need to be considered and put in place. Eurostar Special Assistance team
2nd Floor Kent House
Where possible, we would provide replacement facilities or ensure that 81 Station Road
the appropriate contingency measures or alternative arrangements are Ashford Kent
put in place. TN23 1AP
UK

Compensation for delays is offered to customers in line with the

passenger rights regulations where our trains have been delayed
for a period of one hour or more. Details of our compensation policy
are on our website at eurostar.com or may be obtained from our
contact centre.

Where there is a failure of the Eurostar assistance service, we invite

customers to get in touch via the Contact us form and we will consider
this on a case-by-case basis and provide a response. We will look into
the claim, explain why the assistance was not provided, and any steps
we will take as a result of this.

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 B2 Management arrangements
B. Strategy and Eurostar has appointed senior leaders to deliver overall responsibility
Management for our accessibility strategy and ensure this is embedded at all levels
of our business.

B1 Strategy Our Chief Commercial Officer is responsible at executive committee

level, with the definition, development and overall delivery of policy
At Eurostar, we believe that every customer who travels with us
with Eurostar’s Customer Experience Director. We have a dedicated
should have a smooth journey and we aim to deliver high standards of
full-time Customer Accessibility Manager who is responsible for
service and care to all of our customers. We work hard to ensure that
overseeing the day-to-day delivery and development of our policies
our services and facilities are accessible to all of our customers and
and processes, working with teams across the entire business to
to continuously improve and develop our accessibility provision.
deliver, monitor and improve our services.
We work in line with the requirements and standards set out by the
Local management of procedures and delivery is with managers and
Equality Act and the Department for Transport and further to this
teams across the business, led by the heads of our contact centre,
we are committed to the ongoing delivery of a smooth and enjoyable
stations and on board services. In our contact centre and at London St
travel experience for our customers with disabilities and mobility
Pancras International, we have dedicated teams in place to support the
needs. As such we welcome feedback from our customers about
needs of older and disabled customers.
their experiences of travelling with us and receive all feedback and
comments, be they positive or negative, as an opportunity to learn,
We believe that good customer service is at the heart of the success
improve and develop our services.
of our business and that it is important that we give our colleagues
the necessary information and training to be able to deliver to a high
standard.

New colleagues joining the company participate in our company

induction programme. During this induction we introduce how
accessibility is incorporated within the company, our commitment,
and their impact in making this happen. Senior managers are provided
with more detailed information. We provide ongoing information and
updates to our colleagues with suitable training relevant to their role.

The focus of this training varies depending upon the type of interaction
with the customer i.e. station and on board teams upcoming training
will focus on areas such as:

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• To help colleagues anticipate the needs of customers with hidden or
visible disabilities
• How to find the right balance in ‘not helping enough vs helping too
much’
• Understanding disabled people and their everyday challenges
To ensure that customer accessibility needs and requirements are
taken into account in business and project planning, managers are
required to demonstrate that they have considered the needs of
customers with accessibility needs. These considerations are reviewed
by senior business colleagues and the Customer Accessibility Manager
on a quarterly basis.
We have an internal group of representatives from different areas of
our business. Led by Eurostar’s Customer Accessibility Manager, it
considers the ongoing delivery and development of our accessibility
policy and services to our customers. As part of its function it reviews
the latest customer insight, operational data and customer feedback
which informs priorities and projects tracked and reviewed by the
group.
B3 Monitoring and evaluation
We welcome all feedback on our services. We have a series of
mechanisms in place to monitor and evaluate information provided to us:
• When we receive feedback from older customers and customers with
disabilities, whether it is positive or negative, it will be reviewed, and
any key comments or recommended improvements are forwarded to
the relevant department.
• Where a customer experiences a failure in the delivery of the expected
service and this is highlighted either by the customer or a colleague,
we investigate and follow up with our customer to report back on the
causes of the failure and, depending on the nature of the issue, what
we will be done to address it.
Through our post-travel customer satisfaction survey, we consider the
proportion of customers who have requested assistance in advance
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and those who requested on the day of travel amongst respondents.
We also track satisfaction with the service received through specific
customer service monitoring questions on assistance provision,
together with invitation for open comments in the survey.
The monitoring of customer feedback allows us to understand
the delivery of our service, informs our future thinking and, where
appropriate, allows us to implement quick improvements to minor
issues, as well as supporting us to identify projects for consideration
and make decisions on accessibility matters.
We track the volume of calls received and answered plus response
times by our dedicated assistance team in our contact centre. This
information allows us to evaluate resource requirements and respond
accordingly.
We capture data in a digital format through our assistance allocation
sheet and our assistance daily report.
The assistance allocation sheet contains the number of pre-booked
assistance requests received, number of pre-booked customers
that did or did not arrive for their assistance, number of non-pre-
booked assistances (turn-up-and-go), information relating to the
request, waiting times to manage assistance on departure and on
arrival, reasons for any non-completed pre-booked or turn-up-and-go
assistance (for example, customer did not arrive, customer arrived too
late to take the service, disruption).
The assistance daily report is sent daily to senior operational managers
of the business. It covers the assistance allocation sheet data (described
above), colleagues on shift and final daily assistance figures.
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B4 Access improvements
Listening to customer feedback and acting upon it to ensure
continuous improvement of our products and services is at the heart
of all of our customer experience activity. This is very much the case
for our accessibility provision and we have a rolling roadmap of
improvements informed by both customer and colleague feedback.
The most recently delivered improvements include:
• Recruitment of new Assistance Team Members in St Pancras to meet
increasing demand in the number of assistance requests
• Appointment of a Lead Customer Accessibility Advisor in our
Contact Centre
• Upskilling additional advisors in our Contact Centre to increase
the number of skilled advisors able to answer assistance calls and
requests, the installation of a lift to access Eurostar platform in Lille
Europe
• Improved lighting in all our French stations
• Installation of new lowered handrails in Paris Gare du Nord
• Review of processes and tools in London St Pancras International to
improve ways of working and communication
• Introduction of new leaflet in London St Pancras International to
describe services available
• Review and clarification of the access policy to our Business
Lounges for customers travelling in one of our on board wheelchair
spaces (as these are located on board in either a Business Premier
or Standard Premier coach)
• Improved waiting areas in the Business Lounge in London St Pancras
International for customers travelling in a wheelchair and their
companions
• Full review and update of our Guide and Assistance Dog policy and
processes
• Extended the opening hours of our contact centre to include
weekends
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Forthcoming priorities in the forthcoming year include:
• Automation of the checklist to support customers travelling with a
Guide and Assistance Dog to provide an online option, in addition to
the existing process
• Expansion of the Guide and Assistance Dog policy to encompass
owner-trained assistance cats
• Continued expansion of our training programme for customer-facing
teams throughout the year
• Increased engagement with customers with a range of accessibility
needs via our customer panel -
Our stations and trains
In any of the work we do to improve facilities in our stations and on
board we ensure that we comply with the European Union persons with
reduced mobility technical specification for interoperability (PRM-TSI)
and the Code of Practice. We do endeavour to meet these standards as
a minimum but, should this not be possible, we would consult with the
UK Department for Transport as appropriate to discuss and apply for
derogations against the relevant standards when necessary.
We have taken care to ensure that our existing facilities meet the
various needs of our customers. St Pancras International, the UK
station at which Eurostar services operate from was opened in 2007.
The Eurostar area sits within the structure of a historic building, but a
range of accessibility features have been incorporated into the design
of the building, for example the Eurostar departures area is step-free
from the roadside entrance to the station and lifts to platforms have
been installed for step-free access from the departure lounge to
our trains.
Eurostar stations in mainland Europe are a combination of relatively
new build structures (in the case of Lille Europe and Rotterdam
Centraal) and older buildings (in the case of Paris Gare du Nord,
Brussels-Midi/Zuid and Amsterdam Centraal).
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All of these stations have been upgraded and maintained with
consideration for customers with access needs, and access from ticket
gates to train at all of our stations is step-free.
We operate two models of trains, the e320 and e300, which are fully
accessible and compliant with PRM-TSI. Our Rolling Stock Director is
responsible for making sure that whenever we refurbish our trains, we
do so in line with the relevant regulations and standards.
B5 Working with disabled passengers, local
communities and local authorities
We listen and consult with relevant stakeholders in order to understand
their views and seek to work together.
We do this by:
• Continuously gathering feedback from customer surveys. We ask
specific questions in our monthly Customer Satisfaction Monitor to
gather feedback from customers using our assistance service and to
track satisfaction levels
• Working with feedback panels. Due to the impact of COVID-19 on
our operations and the necessity to run a very limited timetable, we
suspended our online Eurostar research community. This is planned
to resume. We will introduce a dedicated accessibility panel as part
of our research community allowing us to engage with customers
on a number of occasions through the year gathering feedback on a
range of accessibility topics including our ATP, our service delivery,
planned developments and to gather feedback and ideas directly
from customers to inform our planning and priorities
• Welcoming direct customer contact with ideas, complaints,
compliments or suggestions regarding accessibility issues. Through
the Special Assistance section of eurostar.com, we promote our
accessibility provision and advise customers how they can contact
us including how feedback can be shared with us
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B6 Staff training
We recognise the role that training provides for our teams to deliver
high quality customer service. We provide training to colleagues
dependent upon their role and their level of interaction with customers.
This includes:
• New Eurostar colleagues being provided with training on Eurostar’s
customer service strategy and the provision of assistance in our
employee induction programme. This includes understanding
disabled people and their everyday challenges, equality legislation,
definitions of disability, recognising passengers who need
assistance and Eurostar’s passenger assistance offer. Colleagues
are made aware of this Special Assistance Policy, the information it
contains and the regulatory landscape in which services are offered
• Eurostar’s contact centre team being provided with training on
Eurostar’s assistance offer, including the assistance that can be
provided, how the system works for both booked and turn-up-
and-go (non-guaranteed) assistance requests, and how to use the
Eurostar information technology system for assistance booking
• Eurostar’s dedicated station assistance team being provided with
training to help understand the different requirements of disabled
customers, considering requirements beyond physical limitations of
the individual, understanding customers’ needs when the reason for
assistance is not immediately obvious and providing safe assistance.
Specific training is provided to employees who need to use specialist
equipment to assist customers such as ramps, wheelchairs and
induction loops
• Train crew in relevant roles being provided with training in
emergency procedures which includes the safe evacuation of
persons with reduced mobility from trains
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• All customer-facing staff undergoing general customer service
training which covers topics including communication and delivering
a high standard of customer service

• Customer-facing managers across the business receive training on

our new guide and assistance dog approval for international travel
processes, and the changes to international travel that have been
introduced since the UK’s exit from the European Union

• Where relevant to their duties, contractor staff working in customer-

facing roles also receive training

We commit to continuing to provide training to our teams on the

topics above.

We also understand the importance of training on an ongoing basis. As

well as delivering refresher training every two years, later in 2023 we
will provide briefing workshops for customer service team members to
deliver a high level overview of accessibility awareness.

We also intend to develop additional training content to further

support our teams to look after customers with hidden disabilities and
hearing impairments, working with relevant organisations to do so.

At the time of submitting this Special Assistance Policy we have verified

that any statistics and terminology used in the training of our staff are
up to date and appropriate.

Annual review
We will review the Special Assistance Policy annually.

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