All Eurostar services to and from London’s St Pancras International have been suspended following a power failure affecting trains operating through the Channel Tunnel.
The Eurostar statement confirmed that all services have been halted until further notice but did not give a timeline for when operations might resume.
The disruption has also affected Le Shuttle services, which transport cars and freight vehicles through the tunnel.
Long queues of cars and lorries have built up at Folkestone, with the operator warning passengers to expect severe delays.
The Channel Tunnel typically carries tens of thousands of passengers and vehicles daily during the Christmas period, making the disruption particularly significant.
In a notice on its website, Eurostar said: “Due to a problem with the overhead power supply in the Channel Tunnel and a subsequent failed Le Shuttle 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.”
Le Shuttle also confirmed major disruption, stating: “We are experiencing severe service disruption due to an overhead power supply issue. Services are delayed, and we are working hard to resolve this.”
Eurostar services already en route from Paris to London are currently marked as delayed, while delays on departures from London to Paris continue to increase. Live travel updates showed the 7:01am service from St Pancras running about four hours late.
Meanwhile, the Port of Dover said ferry operators on the Dover–Calais route have capacity to accommodate additional passengers seeking alternative travel options, according to a BBC report.
The east coast mainline operator LNER said customers forced to abandon their journeys at London King’s Cross can return to their home stations on the next available LNER service at no extra cost.
It added that passengers who choose to postpone their Eurostar journey may use their existing LNER tickets to travel on the rescheduled day.
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