FORMAL COMPLAINT TO EUROSTAR

Serious Failures in Disability Assistance, Negligence, Unwanted Physical Contact, Avoidable Pain and Distress, and Request for Compensation

To: Eurostar Customer Relations and Complaints Management

Dear Eurostar Customer Relations Team,

I am writing to make a formal complaint about the deeply distressing and unacceptable treatment I experienced during my journey from the UK to Paris last Friday, and again on my return journey on Monday.

I booked assistance because I am a disabled passenger who needs appropriate support when travelling. I did so in good faith, expecting Eurostar and its associated assistance and security personnel to provide a service that would make my journey safer, more manageable, and less physically demanding.

Instead, I experienced significant delays, a lack of communication, inappropriate and unwanted physical contact, careless handling of my wheelchair provided by yourselves, inadequate assistance, and a failure to ensure my safety and wellbeing. The consequences were not merely inconvenience or frustration. I experienced avoidable pain, worsening leg and foot symptoms, painful spasms, impaired mobility, anxiety, and considerable distress.

My disability is not always visible. I live with Fibromyalgia and Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), conditions that can cause significant pain, swelling, spasms, and mobility difficulties. The fact that my disabilities may not be immediately apparent does not give staff permission to disregard my needs, touch me without consent, or handle me carelessly.

What should have been an enjoyable three to four day trip to Paris became a painful and distressing experience from the beginning of my outward journey to the moment I was left without proper assistance on my return to the UK.

I expect Eurostar to investigate these incidents thoroughly and provide a substantive written response to every issue raised below.

1. Outward journey: Failure to provide timely assistance

I had booked assistance for my outward journey and was allocated a time of 11:16. I arrived at approximately 11:13, ahead of my scheduled time.

Shortly afterwards, the person manning the assistance point disappeared for more than 15 minutes, leaving me and a queue of other passengers stranded without assistance or any meaningful explanation.

There were no announcements, no communication about the delay, and no indication of when assistance would arrive. We were simply left waiting.

This was particularly concerning because I had booked assistance specifically because of my disability. Standing in one place for an extended period can aggravate my symptoms, and on this occasion my left foot began to swell. Although the swelling was not immediately visible because my foot was inside my shoe, I could feel the shoe becoming increasingly tight as the minutes passed.

My anxiety increased as I was left waiting, and my physical symptoms progressively worsened. By the time assistance eventually arrived, my condition had deteriorated to the point where I needed a wheelchair to get through security.

Had assistance been provided at the agreed time, rather than almost 20 minutes later, I believe much of this avoidable deterioration and distress could have been prevented.

I want a clear explanation of why the member of staff left the assistance point, where he went, whether anyone was informed of his absence, and why no alternative arrangements were made for the passengers left waiting.

A booked assistance service must be reliable. Leaving disabled passengers stranded without communication is unacceptable.

2. Security procedures: Poor communication and lack of consideration

The experience at security was equally concerning.

Nobody took the time to ask about my needs or explain how I would be assisted. The only question I was asked was whether I had booked assistance.

As I was taken through security, I saw my bag being moved away. Nobody explained that it was going through the X-ray machine, what was happening to it, or where it was being placed afterwards. It subsequently appeared beneath the wheelchair.

I was left uninformed about what was happening to my belongings and had no clear communication from the personnel operating the screening equipment.

I appreciate that security procedures must be followed. However, this does not excuse the failure to communicate with a disabled passenger about what is happening to their luggage, particularly when that passenger is being moved through security in a wheelchair.

I would like Eurostar to establish who was responsible for moving my bag, why I was not informed, and what procedures should have been followed in these circumstances.

3. Careless wheelchair handling and avoidable physical pain

The member of staff pushing my wheelchair repeatedly moved me around in a manner that was distressing and, at times, resulted in the chair striking objects.

My left leg and foot were extended beyond the normal footprint of the wheelchair. This was not a minor detail: it was a significant safety issue, and I had to alert the member of staff more than once because he was not adequately observing the position of my foot.

On the journey to the lift, I had to stop him from allowing my foot and ankle to strike the glass. My foot was vulnerable from the outset, yet he repeatedly failed to take sufficient care.

I was in pain and repeatedly had to say that the movement hurt. By this stage, my foot was swelling and my leg was beginning to experience spasms.

The staff member repeatedly apologised, but apologies do not undo the pain caused by careless handling. Nor do they replace the duty to observe a passenger's position, listen to warnings, and take reasonable care to prevent injury.

I want to know what training this member of staff had received in wheelchair handling, safe passenger movement, and supporting passengers with mobility impairments.

I also want Eurostar to investigate why my repeated warnings were not acted upon effectively.

A wheelchair should provide safe mobility and protection from unnecessary physical strain. It should never become an additional source of pain because the person pushing it fails to pay attention.

4. Unwanted physical contact by the UK assistance staff member

I am particularly concerned about the repeated physical contact made by the member of staff assisting me.

He touched my left shoulder on multiple occasions. I told him to stop touching my left shoulder, but he then touched my right shoulder instead. I had to be firmer in telling him not to do so.

I want to make my position absolutely clear: I did not consent to this repeated physical contact, and I had already communicated that I did not want to be touched.

Why was he touching me at all when this was unnecessary to the task he was performing? Why did he continue making physical contact after I had objected?

I have Fibromyalgia and FND, and unexpected touch can aggravate my symptoms and trigger painful spasms. However, I should not have to disclose a diagnosis or justify my personal boundaries before a member of staff respects my request not to be touched.

Where physical contact is genuinely necessary to provide assistance safely, staff should explain what they intend to do and seek consent wherever practicable. Unnecessary contact after an objection is a serious concern.

I am asking Eurostar to investigate this conduct formally, identify the staff member concerned, establish precisely what occurred, and explain what action will be taken.

I am also considering reporting the incident to the police. I reserve the right to pursue that option and to request that relevant CCTV footage and other evidence be preserved.

I expect Eurostar to treat this matter seriously rather than dismissing it as a misunderstanding or an issue of personal manner.

5. Abandoned on board the train without adequate support

After getting me onto the train, the assistance member took my small suitcase on board and then left to help another passenger.

I had another bag with me and use a walking stick. Given the deterioration in my symptoms, I was uncertain whether I would be able to walk safely at that point.

Once I had placed my bag on my seat and gone to the bathroom, other passengers began boarding in large numbers. I received no further assistance and had no support in navigating the crowded carriage or getting back to my seat.

I appreciate that staff may need to assist more than one passenger. However, this should not result in a disabled passenger being left without appropriate support, particularly when their mobility has already deteriorated and their ability to walk safely is uncertain.

Please explain what the expected handover and onboard assistance procedures are, why I was left without further support, and whether the member of staff should have ensured that I was safely settled before leaving.

6. Consequences of the outward journey

By the time I arrived in Paris, I was limping, in pain, and experiencing considerable discomfort.

My legs were unsteady as I left the train, and my symptoms continued to affect my mobility. I had to take additional prescribed pain-relief medication in an attempt to manage the consequences of the journey. During that weekend, I took four additional prescribed pain-relief tablets, but they did not provide sufficient relief from the pain and discomfort I was experiencing.

The start of my three to four day trip was therefore significantly affected by an experience that I believe could have been substantially avoided through timely assistance, better communication, careful wheelchair handling, and respect for my personal boundaries.

I booked assistance to reduce the physical demands of travelling. Instead, the service contributed to my distress and left me feeling that my safety and dignity had not been adequately considered.

7. Return journey: Repeated unwanted touching at security in Paris

My return journey on Monday was also deeply distressing.

Before the X-ray machines, following passport control, a short woman with red hair was directing passengers through the security queues. She repeatedly instructed people to move forward by half a step or move sideways to accommodate more passengers and luggage.

During this process, she touched me on three separate occasions on different parts of my body. These touches were unnecessary and unwanted.

Each time, I made it clear that I did not want to be touched. I said, loudly and clearly, “NO TOUCH” when she approached me again to move me physically. On that occasion, she acknowledged my request and said, “OK, NO Touch.”

Her response demonstrated that she had heard my objection. I want an explanation of why physical contact was used in the first place and why it took repeated objections for my boundary to be respected.

This was not simply an issue of someone directing a queue. It was the repeated use of unwanted physical contact on a disabled passenger who was already experiencing vulnerability and difficulty with mobility.

I am particularly concerned that similar physical handling appeared to be used with other passengers. Staff must understand that directing people through a queue does not automatically entitle them to touch or physically reposition individuals without considering consent, necessity, and the potential consequences.

Continued in Part 2 ↓