How strict are Eurostar?

[iswhois]

My bastard train was delayed which means I will arrive at the station with 17 minutes to spare; Eurostar stipulate a 30 min deadline before departure.

How strict do they enforce this rule?

Please don't leave unhelpful comments like I should have allowed for more time at the connecting station, this wasn't a possibility.

They are accommodating, but it sounds like your train is due in 17 mins before your eurostar..if it's st Pancras it can take 10 mins to get across the station,

Our connectoon at lille which Eurostar sold as a joint ticket allowed 12 mins from the domestic to international train.

All fine until dd needed a poo!!

It probably depends on how bad the queues are at St Pancras. You'll just have to wait and see.

I assume you haven't got a through ticket or ticket to "London International CIV" which protects you against delays causing you to miss your connection? Definitely worth getting next time: www.seat61.com/UKconnections.htm
Ticket offices in the UK don't always know about them but they exist and are good not just for for the protection, but you can also use them on peak-hour trains in and out of London, I think.

Should be ok if you leg it a bit. If there's a queue at security then tell staff and they may shove you to the front

It's Brussels station, rather confusing station in any case!!!! Next Eurostar isn't until tomorrow morning. Such a pain.

Good luck OP, last time I came through Brussels it took eternity to get through security. It was very much every man for himself everyone was just going through at the same time no matter what train they were on, they won't care whether you got there within the half hour, they shut the doors at the usual time any trains go, it's just whether you can get through security.

There is generally always a huge queue. Run to the front and speak to the staff to ask them to let you through. Fingers crossed for you

Oh sorry just seen it's Brussels, I nearly missed Eurostar from there a few months ago and they definitely let you through after the supposed half hour cut off

I made it be the skin of my teeth last year with arriving into Brussels 18 mins before. That was running.

Good luck - if you do miss it, check the T&Cs on your ticket, and if it is booked as a through journey on a specific train and the delay means you miss the Eurostar, they should be obliged to help you. Even if the next Brussels departure is not until tomorrow, you might be able to get a different train to Paris or Lille and transfer?

I’ve been in the same situation, also going through Brussels, I explained the situation to the staff at the doors into the Eurostar bit and they ushered me through the business class section so I could whizz straight through security and make it onto the train. I generally find Eurostar to be pretty good about these sorts of things if you ask nicely. Fingers crossed for you!

Did you make it OP?

If you are still on your way you could
Look up a plan of the station so you know where you are going when you get there.

Update all- we made it, there were a few people in the same scenario so we legged it en masse, thank God!!!!

Glad it worked out for you!

That’s good news. Brussels Midi always seems to be quite quick. Last time through I allowed an hour and took three minutes.