Eurostar train services between the UK and the EU have been restored after a major cable theft in France caused severe delays and disruption for thousands of passengers. The incident occurred at Lille Europe station, a key interchange for trains between London, Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam.
A team of 15 engineers worked to repair the high-speed line after approximately 600 metres of cable was stolen or cut. Eurostar initially urged passengers to cancel or postpone their trips, warning of severe delays and last-minute cancellations. The disruption also threatened to affect the NATO summit in the Netherlands.
Passengers at London St Pancras station faced chaos, with many left confused about their travel plans. Ed and Paul, 41 and 37, who work in renewable energy, described the situation as a nightmare. A couple in their 70s from Coventry had their holiday plans disrupted and were waiting for alternative arrangements.
By Wednesday afternoon, Eurostar confirmed that full repairs were completed and trains had resumed. Police have launched an investigation, with forensic teams at the scene. Dutch authorities are also investigating a separate power outage on rail cables near Schiphol airport, which the justice minister suggested could be sabotage linked to the NATO summit.
The French regional train network TER Hauts de France said the theft occurred on signal cables laid in gutters along the track. SNCF agents carried out meticulous repairs, connecting around 15 wires per cable. This incident follows disruption on Tuesday due to two fatalities on the line between Lille and Paris.
