Eurostar passengers are preparing for a second day of potential disruption after a power outage in the Channel Tunnel caused major travel chaos for thousands on Tuesday.
Some travellers were left stranded for hours overnight, stuck onboard trains waiting for movement. One passenger told the BBC he boarded the 19:01 service to Paris, but by 02:30 GMT he was still sitting on the train at the tunnel entrance. According to him, staff said there was a “50% chance we go to Paris, 50% chance we go back to London.”
The disruption began when a fault in the overhead power supply and a broken‑down LeShuttle train blocked all routes, severely affecting those travelling ahead of New Year’s Eve.
Although some Eurostar and LeShuttle services resumed on Tuesday evening after one of the tunnel’s two lines reopened, significant delays continued.
Channel Tunnel operator Getlink said engineers were working through the night to fix the power issue and hoped services would return to normal by Wednesday.
Earlier, Eurostar urged passengers to rebook for another day if possible, offering free exchanges. “We also advise customers not to come to our stations if their trains have already been cancelled,” the company said.
By midday Tuesday, at least a dozen Eurostar services between the UK, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands had been cancelled. The operator apologised and said passengers could rebook for free or request a refund or e‑voucher.
Travellers described scrambling for alternative routes. Two American tourists, Haley Adams (38) and Hannah Hagar (35), spent $580 (£430) on last‑minute flights to Paris after their Eurostar service from London St Pancras was cancelled. They received refunds for their train tickets but said they must now pay for an extra night in London and cannot recover the cost of their unused hotel booking in Paris.
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