British racegoers heading to the Arc could be disrupted by rail strikes

Racegoers travelling to Paris for Arc weekend by rail face travel disruption with strike action by the RMT trade union likely to affect those using Eurostar services.

Saturday, October 1 is the first of three fresh days of strike action, a day before Europe's showpiece middle-distance race, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, at Longchamp on Sunday week.

National Rail has urged passengers not to attempt to travel on October 1, with just 11 per cent of services expected to be running.

A statement on the website of Eurostar, which runs services between London and Paris, says: "Although the full impact is not yet known, we expect to run most of our trains."

However, previous action by RMT has led to Eurostar operating a reduced timetable. Thousands of racegoers from Britain and Ireland make the journey to the Arc meeting, which begins on October 1.

The strike action, which will mainly affect long-distance and inter-city operators such as Avanti West Coast, Cross Country and GWR, will particularly impact those needing to board a connecting service from London St Pancras International.

Eurostar services are not currently stopping at Ashford International and Ebbsfleet International stations, leaving St Pancras as the only starting point for those making the journey.

The London Marathon will also be run on October 2, contributing to further disruption in the capital. Road closures will affect parts of central London from September 29 until October 3 as a result.

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