Eurostar has warned passengers of potential continued disruption, despite services resuming after a major power failure in the Channel Tunnel caused travel chaos for thousands. All London to mainland Europe services were cancelled on Tuesday following the incident, which also blocked routes with a broken-down LeShuttle train.
Services Resume Amid Ongoing Disruption
Limited Eurostar services recommenced on Tuesday evening using a single operational line. However, the operator reported further issues with rail infrastructure overnight, leading to continued uncertainty for Wednesday's schedule. The first scheduled departure from London's St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord at 6.01am was cancelled.
A statement on the Eurostar website advised: "We plan to run all of our services today, however due to knock-on impacts there may still be some delays and possible last-minute cancellations." The company has apologised for the disruption, which it described as outside its control, and is supporting customers with rescheduling.
Passenger Ordeal and Cross-Channel Impact
The disruption affected both Eurostar passenger services and LeShuttle vehicle-carrying trains. Getlink, the Channel Tunnel operator, confirmed an incident related to the power supply occurred, impacting all traffic through the vital link between Britain and France.
At the Folkestone terminal, LeShuttle initially warned of six-hour delays on Tuesday, though these were reduced to around 30 minutes by Wednesday morning. Significant queues, however, persisted in Calais. Eurostar staff at St Pancras were seen distributing water to stranded passengers, while vehicle tailbacks built up on roads approaching the Folkestone terminal.
Stranded Travellers Describe Harsh Conditions
The human impact of the failure was starkly illustrated by LeShuttle passenger Tim Brown, who was stranded in his vehicle on a train at Calais for over three hours with no access to food or water. He was attempting to return to the UK after Christmas in Germany with his two dogs.
"The fact that nobody has come around offering everybody a bottle of water is what has shocked me the most," Mr Brown said. "I know things happen, but surely that would be an easy way to help." He added that his dogs were "hating life" trapped on the stationary train.
Eurostar continues to urge travellers to check the latest information before travelling and to consider rebooking for a different day where possible, as the network works to recover from the major infrastructure failure.
