Eurostar passengers are facing ongoing disruption for a second day after a power outage in the Channel Tunnel caused widespread delays and cancellations, leaving some travellers stranded on board trains overnight.
Thousands of people attempting to travel ahead of New Year’s Eve had their plans disrupted on Tuesday when a fault with the overhead power supply, combined with a broken-down LeShuttle train, blocked all tunnel routes. Although some services resumed later in the evening, only one of the tunnel’s two rail lines was operational, resulting in continued delays.
Several passengers reported being stuck on trains for more than six hours overnight. One traveller told us he boarded a London-to-Paris service at 19:01 GMT but was still waiting near the tunnel entrance at 03:00, uncertain whether the train would continue to Paris or return to London.
Another passenger travelling to Amsterdam said his train was left without power for several hours, leaving people anxious and exhausted. While some passengers slept, others were deeply concerned as they waited for updates from staff.
Eurostar said it plans to run all services on Wednesday but warned that knock-on delays and last-minute cancellations remain possible. One early-morning service from London to Paris was cancelled, and passengers were advised to check live updates before travelling.
Getlink, the operator of the Channel Tunnel, confirmed that engineers continued work overnight to restore full power. Images shared on social media showed large crowds at London’s St Pancras station, while traffic built up near the LeShuttle terminal in Folkestone as vehicles waited to cross.
The disruption affected both Eurostar passenger services and vehicle-carrying LeShuttle trains. Some motorists reported being stuck in their cars for hours without access to food or water.
Eurostar apologised to customers and said affected passengers could rebook their journeys free of charge or request a refund or travel voucher. The company urged travellers not to come to stations if their services had already been cancelled.
