UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Eurostar and Le Shuttle trains were suspended by a Channel Tunnel power outage, with services resuming gradually amid long vehicle queues.
As reported by Juliette Garside of The Guardian, a Channel Tunnel power outage on Tuesday halted passenger and vehicle trains, disrupting thousands of journeys ahead of New Year’s celebrations.
The power failure took place inside the Channel Tunnel, the 31-mile undersea rail link between the UK and France. A fault in the overhead catenary power system caused a Le Shuttle train to break down inside the tunnel.
What caused Eurostar and Le Shuttle disruptions in the Channel Tunnel?
Eurostar’s website showed almost all passenger services between London and Europe were cancelled, while Le Shuttle trains carrying private cars and freight were expected to resume by the afternoon, with drivers stuck in long queues facing delays of around six hours.
The Channel Tunnel operator said,
“An incident related to the power supply to trains occurred last night in part of the Channel Tunnel, affecting train and shuttle traffic. A technical intervention is required, which is currently underway.”
It stated that while
“The service is temporarily suspended in both directions. Traffic is expected to resume gradually around 15:00 CET.”
The operator added,
“Our teams are working to restore the situation as quickly as possible. Waiting times will be adjusted throughout the day.”
Getlink, the tunnel operator, confirmed that engineers were working to fix the issue, and Le Shuttle services are expected to gradually resume from 2 pm UK time.
It said,
“An incident related to the power supply to trains occurred last night in part of the Channel tunnel, affecting train and shuttle traffic. A technical intervention is required, which is currently under way.”
The operator added,
“The service is temporarily suspended in both directions. Traffic is expected to resume gradually around 15.00 CET [14.00 GMT] for LeShuttle customers.”
A Eurostar spokesperson said the broken-down Le Shuttle train had been removed from the Channel Tunnel, with no passengers stranded inside.
At Folkestone, where Le Shuttle trains depart, long queues of cars and lorries have formed, with the operator’s live updates indicating services were gradually resuming, though delays remained.
During the Christmas season, Channel Tunnel trains carry tens of thousands of passengers and vehicles each day.
On Tuesday morning, Eurostar posted a notice on its website saying,
“Due to a problem with the overhead power supply in the Channel tunnel and a subsequent failed LeShuttle train, we strongly advise all our passengers to postpone their journey to a different date. Please don’t come to the station unless you already have a ticket to travel.”
By Tuesday afternoon, Eurostar live service updates showed all Paris departures on 30 December were cancelled, except for the 18.01 and 19.01 trains; in the other direction, only the 18.12 and 19.12 services were scheduled to run.
Le Shuttle posted a statement on its website Tuesday morning, reading,
“Services are temporarily suspended for up to 3 hours for both terminals due to a power supply issue. We are working hard to resolve this. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.”
Rory Boland, the editor of Which? Travel said,
“Those who have had their train cancelled have the option to exchange their booking or claim a refund or Eurostar e-voucher. For delays, travellers are entitled to compensation.”
He added,
“Check the Eurostar website for live updates and consider other options for your travel plans. If you are delayed overnight, you have the right to be put up in a hotel or be reimbursed for one.”
Mr Boland continued,
“It may also be possible to use other routes to get home, such as the ferry, but you will need to contact Eurostar first or risk being left out of pocket.”
According to the BBC, the Port of Dover said ferry services running between Dover and Calais have capacity for extra passengers seeking alternative travel options.
The East Coast mainline train company LNER stated that
“any customers who have had to abandon their journey in London King’s Cross are able to return to their home station on the next available LNER service at no additional cost.”
It said customers who postpone their Eurostar travel to another day can use their existing ticket to travel on that day.
What did families say about being trapped on the Eurostar?
Betty Ndukaeze and eight family members were trapped on a Eurostar train for over four hours before it returned to St Pancras.
The family arrived at St Pancras just after 05:00 GMT for the 07:01 Eurostar, but the train left an hour late and had to return.
Betty said,
“It was chaos from the moment we got here. They kept announcing there was a problem with the train ahead of us and saying they were trying to fix the problem. We just got back here. The journey back from where we were stuck was only 20 minutes.”
At St Pancras, Kim Cook said her family, visiting from Tennessee, were stranded when their Eurostar to Paris, meant for their 25th wedding anniversary, was cancelled.
She said,
“All the flights are booked. There’s no seats open today or tomorrow.”
Kim describes the situation at St Pancras as
“a bit chaotic. They weren’t giving us a lot of information but I’m sure they didn’t have a lot of information to give.”
Kelly and her family waited nearly three hours in the queue between French and UK border posts, with little information, after driving from Dijon.
She said,
“We’ve been through France, but they won’t let anyone go anywhere. If you want to go to your toilet you have to lose your space in the queue and join the masses in the terminal. There’s kids squatting at the side of the road. It’s quite a distressing situation really.”
What is the Channel Tunnel?
The Channel Tunnel is a 31.5-mile rail tunnel under the English Channel, linking Folkestone in England with Coquelles in France. It was officially opened in 1994 and is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World.
The tunnel carries Eurostar passenger trains and LeShuttle vehicle services, serving as a vital rail connection between the UK and mainland Europe.
