Three years on from our departure from the EU, UK travellers face more delays and paperwork when travelling to Europe – and 2023 will bring new checks

Capacity issues caused by post-Brexit border controls and a shortage of border police are forcing Eurostar to leave thousands of seats unsold every day on its high-speed trains from London to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam.

Trains are leaving Amsterdam Centraal station almost three-quarters empty in an attempt to avoid long queues.

The high-speed train service under the English Channel is leaving many seats unfilled, rather than risk delays caused by more rigorous passport checks for Britons.

The TSSA union says it is seeking a meeting with Eurostar to discuss rail safety measures amid escalating Brexit tensions which have seen railways become a target for protestors. / Manuel Cortes said: 'Whether a prank or not, we are very concerned at reports that pro-Brexit supporters have accessed our rail infrastructure with the aim of causing delays and chaos.'

Eurostar has warned that Brexit formalities are threatening its business, although it is holding out hopes that a new digital immigration system will simplify the procedure in due course.

Eurostar has been forced to run trains with a large number of empty seats between London and its destinations in Europe, in order to prevent backups at border checkpoints at its stations.

Cross-Channel train operator Eurostar complained Tuesday that slower post-Brexit passport checks for travellers are forcing it to run some services almost one-third empty.

ondon trains leave Amsterdam at least 78% empty because of constraints on UK border checks. / Thousands of seats are deliberately going unsold on Eurostar trains every day as the cross-Channel train operator struggles with post-Brexit passport controls.

Note that the slogans on these placards all represent news that has reached us about the effects of Brexit on Kent specifically. Some of these have featured in articles in Kent Bylines, as linked in the explanations below.

FINGERPRINT checks set to be introduced on the EU border could cause significant disruption to holidaymakers, industry experts have warned.

Border checks for British travellers introduced after Brexit have caused Eurostar’s peak capacity to drop by 30 per cent.

The head of Eurostar says that even with all border booths manned, queues are growing and the station can only process 1,500 passengers an hour compared with 2,200 in 2019.

Jacques Damas claimed long daily queues at London St Pancras are only being avoided by the company limiting capacity. / Extra Brexit border checks mean the processing rate for passengers at Eurostar’s London station has been cut by nearly a third, according to the cross-Channel rail operator’s boss.

Extra border checks mean St Pancras can't handle as many passengers as it did before Brexit.

Problems faced by Eurostar as a result of the pandemic, Brexit and rising costs have been set out in detail in a letter from outgoing CEO Jacques Damas to the Chair of the UK’s House of Commons Transport Select Committee.

Capacity at London St Pancras is down by one-third because of extra passport checks – meaning fewer seats and higher fares.

Eurostar has announced it will scrap London to Disneyland direct services from next summer due to the impact of Brexit and Covid.

Travel agents say the UK's withdrawal from the EU "has taken away the seamless and frictionless travel" that Britons previously enjoyed.

Europe-bound trains won’t stop at Ashford and Ebbsfleet International stations for at least ‘two to three years’.

Brits have been banned from taking their bicycles onboard Eurostar services to destinations including Paris, Lille and Brussels due to post-Brexit issues with customs rules.

Eurostar and Dover are at risk of Brexit border delays this summer when passenger numbers return to pre-pandemic levels, says parliamentary watchdog.

It would be fair to say that businesses in Somerset are now really starting to feel the effects of Brexit and our new trade deals with the EU and the rest of the world. From all the businesses I have spoken to so far the effects have ranged from bureaucratic nightmares with unnecessary paperwork and extra costs to complete shutdowns of exports.

Eurostar has also warned passengers of post-Brexit requirements.