Strike keeps Eurostar stuck in Paris

London-bound Eurostar trains have been unable to leave Paris so far today because of a strike by catering staff working for Momentum, a company hired by Eurostar to provide restaurant services on board the train. They held a work stoppage to press demands for higher salaries (to match the pay of their British counterparts) and improved conditions, including better security.

The strikers blocked the tracks at Gare du Nord station in Paris. While officially no trains have been cancelled, departures were on hold as police cleared platforms and negotiations got under way between union representatives and Eurostar bosses.

"Services have been disrupted since this morning. We do not expect them to start up again at this point," a spokesman for France's SNCF state railway operator said. A commuter reported crowds of frustrated Eurostar passengers building up on the station concourse.

Despite the dispute, Eurostar was able to run services from London's Waterloo station to Paris, while London-Brussels Eurostar services were operating normally in both directions. "We're hoping that the dispute will be sorted out so that trains from Paris can start running again," said a Eurostar spokesman. He added that some London-bound Eurostar passengers had left Paris on local trains and caught up with Eurostar services at Lille in northern France.

The Channel Tunnel car and lorry shuttle services were not affected by the dispute.