EUROSTAR is set to axe its direct train service from London to Disneyland Paris from June 5 next year.
The company has said it wanted to focus on its core routes as it faces the consequences of Brexit and recovers from the impact of Covid.
The route has been in operation since 1996, apart from a suspension during the pandemic.
A spokeswoman for Eurostar said: “We have taken the decision not to run the direct Disney service between London and Marne-la-Vallee in Summer 2023.
“Whilst we continue to recover financially from the pandemic and monitor developments in the proposed EU Entry Exit system, we need to focus on our core routes to ensure we can continue to provide the high level of service and experience that our customers rightly expect.”
From next year, those arriving from outside the EU and Schengen areas will need to have their fingerprints scanned and a photo taken to be registered on a database.
The spokeswoman added: “Passengers can still enjoy high-speed rail travel between London and Disneyland Paris, via Paris or Lille.”
She confirmed customer bookings would not be affected as tickets were not yet on sale beyond June 5, adding that options for 2024 would be re-examined during the coming year.
Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of Advantage Travel Partnership, a network of more than 700 travel agents across the UK, said she was not surprised by the decision given the implications of Brexit.
She said: “Eurostar has suggested that they have taken this decision based on the logistical implications of Brexit, which doesn’t surprise me.
“The reality is that Brexit has removed the ability for Brits to travel freely across Europe and has taken away the seamless and frictionless travel that we all enjoyed prior to leaving the EU.
“Given that the UK is an important source market to Disneyland Paris, I am hoping that some pragmatic thinking and practical solutions will entail, similar to those implemented by Spain at some of its Spanish airports, allowing Brits to use the e-gates on entry.”
