HIGH-SPEED train services between Belgium and the Netherlands were cancelled because of damage caused by Storm Eunice, which whipped across Britain and northern Europe, the Thalys rail service said today.

A spokesman for Thalys, which links Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam and Cologne, told AFP “the whole Dutch network” handling high-speed trains was affected, thus impacting trains leaving Belgium.

As a result, Thalys services were limited to Paris-Brussels, with full service to and from Amsterdam and beyond expected to be re-established around 1400 GMT today.

The Netherlands’ Prorail.nl website carrying updates on its high-speed line said “the damage on most of the track is still extensive”. It showed pictures of crews clearing fallen trees.

Belgium’s rail network manager Infrabel said trains on its network were mostly running normally today after overnight work to clear lines.

Storm Eunice ripped across Belgium and the Netherlands overnight, after hitting Britain, packing winds of up to 145kph. – AFP, February 19, 2022.