The group of friends had reportedly booked the 9.43am Eurostar Brussels to Paris service on October 10.
But they learned their train had been cancelled three hours before departure time – at which point they were already heading to Antwerp from the Belgian village in which they live.
They eventually reached Brussels after booking a later train when they were told by Eurostar staff members to use “jump seats”.
It soon emerged there were no seats available, forcing the group of people mostly in their early 80s to stand for the whole journey.
According to Karen Morris, whose 81-year-old father was part of the group, the bar was also closed and no refreshments were available.
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She claimed that small bottles of water were only handed out just before they arrived in Paris.
“The way they were treated was extremely disappointing but Eurostar’s online system stated they were not eligible for compensation and we couldn’t work out why,” she wrote in a letter to The Times.
Eurostar has since issued an apology and vowed to ensure this doesn’t happen again.
The company said: “We are very sorry for the experience Mr Morris and the rest of the group had while travelling with us.
“On this occasion we fell short of the level of comfort and clarity we expect to deliver for our customers. During a disruption a limited number of customers may be allowed to stand on our services if they decide to.
“During the interaction with the group the passengers were incorrectly advised that tip-up seats would be available on the train, and we sincerely apologise for this.
”Because the booking was made through a third party your father wasn’t able to apply for a refund online, but he has now been offered compensation for the delay and the lack of seating. The company is reviewing what happened with its teams in Brussels to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”
