RAIL workers are calling on ministers to provide financial support to Eurostar, warning that the service could “tip over” after France toughened travel rules for Brits. 

From Saturday, British tourists will be banned from entering France under new restrictions over escalating omicron fears. 

Only passengers with “compelling reasons” will be able to enter the country, Paris said, adding that the British government had itself said that the country would face “a tidal wave” of new infections due to the omicron variant.

Those reasons do not include tourism or business. 

Rail workers union RMT said the announcement was a “yet another kick in the teeth for staff who operate this crucial, green inter-continental link.

“We are calling on the government to recognise the importance of Eurostar to the future of UK transport infrastructure and to meet in tripartite talks with ministers, the company and the unions to ensure a safety net is in place to prevent any risk of the operation tipping over,” general secretary Mick Lynch said. 

“With the loss of revenues over Christmas and into the New Year the situation at Eurostar is deadly serious and the government cannot be allowed to just wash its hands and walk away.”

Eurostar called for state support earlier this year, announcing “disaster was possible” after experiencing a 95 per cent drop in passenger numbers since the start of the pandemic.

The government also faced calls to reinstate the furlough scheme for Eurostar staff and other firms hit by the new travel ban. 

 “Measures to tackle the virus — such as travel restrictions — must come with financial support for businesses, including our travel trade, to prevent thousands of job losses,” transport workers’ union TSSA general secretary Manuel Cortes said. 
 
“With this latest blow of travel restrictions to France, furlough is vital support and must be brought back immediately.” 

France said it was toughening the rules in order to “delay as much as we can the development of omicron in our country and take advantage to push ahead with the booster drive.”

Passengers must also show proof of a negative PCR or lateral flow test 24 hours before departure, rather than within 48 hours, and will need to quarantine for seven days. This can be reduced to 48 hours if a new negative test can be produced.