A power failure has forced the suspension of all passenger and vehicle train services through the Channel Tunnel, disrupting thousands of journeys ahead of New Year celebrations.
Passenger operator Eurostar confirmed that almost all scheduled services between London and continental Europe were cancelled for the day.
LeShuttle, which transports cars and freight vehicles through the tunnel, said services were expected to resume later in the afternoon, although motorists waiting to leave the UK were facing delays of up to six hours.
The tunnel operator, Getlink, said engineers were working to restore power, adding that LeShuttle services were expected to resume gradually from 2pm UK time.
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“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,” Getlink said. “The service is temporarily suspended in both directions. Traffic is expected to resume gradually around 1500 CET [1400 GMT] for LeShuttle customers.”
According to a spokesperson for the Eurostar, a broken-down LeShuttle train had been moved out of the Channel tunnel with the operator stating none of its passengers were stranded inside the tunnel.
The Eurostar operator in a notice posted 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 said it planned to resume services to continental Europe, but strongly advised passengers to delay their journeys.
Meanwhile, LeShuttle in a statement posted on their website Tuesday morning said: “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.”
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