Eurostar suspends all Europe trains over power issue during holiday travel

The undersea tunnel’s passage through the UK to continental Europe was temporarily halted by passenger train operator Eurostar as a result of power issues and a stuck train.

After the operator suspended all trains’ travel between London, Paris, Amsterdam, and Brussels, passengers were left trying to find alternatives on Tuesday.

A shuttle train halted inside the Channel Tunnel after a power supply issue, according to a Eurostar spokesperson. “All trains leaving and arriving in London are halted until further notice.”

The operator of the Channel Tunnel, Eurotunnel, claimed in a separate statement that the power supply issue affected both rail and car travel in both directions.

On Tuesday afternoon, traffic is anticipated to gradually resume. “A technical intervention is necessary, which is currently being conducted,” he says. Our teams are attempting to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.

At 15:30 GMT, Eurostar informed travelers that the power issue was still present on its website.

Disgusted and disheartened, respectively

As the notification went out, stranded travelers’ crowded streets in London, including many with suitcases, at Gare du Nord in Paris and St Pancras Station in London.

After their Eurostar train to London was canceled, Jamie and Issy Gill were desperate to be reunited with their baby boy after a break in the French capital.

Issy Gill cried as she said, “We came for my 30th birthday.”

Other irate passengers attempted to purchase tickets for flights or buses.

Sarah Omouri, a French traveler whose plans to celebrate the New Year in London were canceled, called herself “disgusted, disheartened.”

“We haven’t had a vacation in about a year. We were told to board the train, exit, re-enter, and re-enter. We are now informed that several days have passed since everything has been fully booked. It’s ruined”.

Since its inauguration in 1994, the 50 km (32 miles) Channel Tunnel, which covers more than half of the country’s Underground Railroad, has revolutionized UK-European rail travel.

In response to demand from visitors to the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, Eurostar had a record-high number of passengers last year, up nearly 5% from 2023.

The most recent incident to affect Eurostar came on Tuesday, the latest one to come at a time when the airline has received criticism for its high prices, particularly on the Paris-London route.