Eurostar suspfinished train services across key European routes on Tuesday (December 30) after a power supply issue in the Channel Tunnel, triggering widespread travel chaos during the busy Christmas–New Year period, AFP reported.
A Eurostar spokesperson stated there was “a power supply problem in the Channel Tunnel, followed by a shuttle train coming to a halt inside,” adding that all journeys to and from London were suspfinished until further notice.
Routes hit
Services between London, Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels were postponed, leaving passengers scrambling for alternatives, according to AFP.
Eurostar’s website also displayed cancellations on continental routes not applying the Channel Tunnel, including Paris–Brussels services, the news outlet stated.
Passengers stranded
Crowds of stranded travellers, many with suitcases, gathered at London’s St Pancras International and Paris’s Gare du Nord as notifications went out that finish-of-year holiday plans were in doubt, AFP stated.
Official response
Channel Tunnel operator Getlink stated train traffic would progressively resume on Tuesday afternoon, but passengers were left uncertain about when—or if—they would travel.
Earlier, Eurostar advised customers to postpone journeys, citing “major disruption” cautilized by the power problem and a “subsequent failed Le Shuttle train,” according to AFP.
“Please don’t come to the station unless you already have a ticket to travel,” the operator stated, warning of severe delays and last-minute cancellations.
About the tunnel
Eurostar has held a monopoly on passenger services through the Channel Tunnel since it opened in 1994. Vehicle-carrying services through the tunnel are operated separately by LeShuttle, which runs trains between Folkestone in southeast England and Calais in northern France.
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