Eurostar passengers have been warned to expect disruption today despite the resumption of services after a power outage in the Channel Tunnel.
Thousands of passengers faced hours of delays after the train operator cancelled all its London to Europe services on Tuesday when an overhead power supply problem and a failed LeShuttle train blocked all routes.
Some services resumed on the single available line on Tuesday evening with Eurostar saying there were “further issues with rail infrastructure overnight”.
The first train of the day from London St Pancras to Paris was cancelled and the second was delayed by nearly half an hour. Others appear to be scheduled as normal, although a new statement from the operator says that “due to knock-on impacts there may still be some delays and possible last-minute cancellations”.
The Independent’s Travel Correspondent, Simon Calder, estimates that 25,000 passengers have been affected by the disruption, and warns that airline-style compensation is highly unlikely. Costs incurred as a result of train cancellation, such as hotel fees, will similarly not be covered by Eurostar.
Key Points
- Passengers stranded on train overnight as Channel Tunnel disruption continues
- Is the service running on time this morning?
- Eurostar warns 'knock-on' delays and cancellations possible today
- Eurostar adds extra London-Paris train
'People were resigned to the situation'
11:46 , Maryam Zakir-HussainOne delayed train, Eurostar 9152, arrived in the northern French city of Lille from London at 0630 GMT, 11 hours later than its expected arrival time. The journey typically takes 80 minutes.
One passenger, Herve, spoke to news channel BFM TV from the train: "We're annoyed because we're tired and we don't have any hot drinks. It's an extremely unpleasant situation."
Another passenger, Ghislain Planque, disembarking from the service in Lille said: "People were resigned to the situation. There was nothing we could do. We were given water. We weren't completely abandoned."
'If I spent a fortune on a flight, will Eurostar pay the extra cost?'
11:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainHere’s what our travel correspondent Simon Calder has to say:
No. In aviation, when an airline cancels a flight it must cover the cost of getting you to your destination as soon as possible (including, if nothing else is available, in Eurostar Premier class).
But that is not the case for international rail passengers. Even though air fares surged way beyond normal levels, all you can claim back from Eurostar is the original price of your ticket.
Travel insurance is the best route for a claim for extra costs.
Eurostar adds extra London-Paris train
10:41 , Maryam Zakir-HussainIn a bid to clear the backlog of an estimated 25,000 passengers whose Eurostar trains were cancelled on Tuesday, the Channel Tunnel passenger rail firm has added an extra London-Paris train, Simon Calder reports.
The service, numbered 9020, will depart from St Pancras International at 11am, scheduled to arrive in the French capital at 2.30pm local time.
Seats are available for sale at £219, but Eurostar passengers whose trains were cancelled on Tuesday should be able to switch to it free of charge.
Some Eurostar arrivals delayed by over an hour
10:12 , Maryam Zakir-HussainAs the Eurostar operation between London St Pancras International, Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam recovers, all arriving trains are delayed, Simon Calder reports.
The first service from Paris was only a few minutes behind schedule, but the next two are 40 and 50 minutes late respectively.
Problems start building with the intended 10.30am arrival, which left Paris 70 minutes late because of the operational disarray.
It will be over an hour behind schedule. The 11.30 arrival is currently showing as being 80 minutes late.
From Brussels, trains are typically delayed in arriving by half-a-hour.
"Due to a problem in the Eurotunnel, our trains are likely to be subject to severe delays."
Eurostar website shows train delayed by 12 hours
09:49 , Maryam Zakir-HussainOur travel correspondent Simon Calder reports:
Passengers aboard the 7.01pm Eurostar departure on Tuesday evening from London St Pancras International were due to arrive in Paris at 10.19pm local time.
The train left about 90 minutes late and stopped at the mouth of the Channel Tunnel for many hours.
The Independent has tried to establish exactly how late the train is.
The latest information on Eurostar’s travel information site indicates an arrival at 10.19am – 12 hours behind schedule.
Eurostar’s site says: “The updated times show in red are approximate and may change.”
‘Tunnel now open in both directions’ – Eurotunnel
09:38 , Maryam Zakir-HussainEurotunnel has issued an updated statement making clear that it was not responsible for the long delay experienced by some Eurostar passengers on Tuesday night, Simon Calder writes.
The company said: “The power supply incident in the Channel tunnel was resolved overnight, and the tunnel has recovered its full capacity since then.
“The overnight incident on the British network is unrelated to this. Rail service in the Channel Tunnel has resumed overnight in both directions.”
'Stranded for hours with train power switched off'
09:15 , Simon CalderPassengers on Tuesday night’s 7.01pm departure from London St Pancras International have been speaking about their gruelling experience.
The train left about 90 minutes late and stopped at the mouth of the Channel Tunnel.
A passenger named Francis Collings told Sky News that the power was turned off around 11pm.
He said: “About four hours ago, maybe about 11pm at night, the power was turned off. So we have lighting, but it's low lighting, but this seems to have affected the toilets, which don't seem to want to flush.”
Six hours after the train stopped, he added: “We’re still here, not entirely sure what's going to happen because there's a fault somewhere, we believe, in the tunnel, but we've also been told it's with the train and there was a fault with a carriage and there's talk of locomotives pulling other trains that are further up the line out of the way.”
Travel Correspondent Simon Calder is at London St Pancras International, where trains have resumed
09:02 , Maryam Zakir-HussainTens of thousands of passengers who were expecting to travel on Eurostar yesterday are waking up on New Year’s Eve where they did not expect to be, Simon Calder writes.
Thirty trains linking London with Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam were cancelled on Tuesday 30 December.
Passengers have been told to rebook, but it appears that many have simply abandoned their New Year journeys.
Problems began in the early hours of Tuesday morning with a power failure in one of the tunnel bores between Folkestone and Calais. There is a well-rehearsed response to this, which is single line working: a sequence of services, comprising LeShuttle car-carrying trains, freight trains and Eurostar passenger services, travels in one direction.
When they are all through, trains travel in the opposite direction. It slows everything up, but people and goods get through eventually.
But then a LeShuttle train broke down, and everything seized up.
Initially Eurostar dispatched trains towards the Channel Tunnel hoping the blockage would be removed. But by late morning the train company was sending them back to where they started, and urged passengers not to try to travel.
Trains resumed around 4pm, but by that time many people had given up.
Eurostar chaos: What are your rights if trains are cancelled or delayed?
08:44 , Maryam Zakir-HussainAn estimated 25,000 Eurostar passengers had their travel plans torn up due to the closure of the Channel Tunnel for many hours on 30 December.
Thirty trains connecting London St Pancras International with Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam have been cancelled.
Services have now resumed, but passengers have been told that unless they have a confirmed reservation for one of the trains that are running, they should leave the station.
Our travel correspondent Simon Calder has the exclusive:
Eurostar warns of more cancellations after ‘further issues’ overnight
08:31 , Maryam Zakir-HussainEurostar passengers have been cautioned that further delays and cancellations remain a possibility, even as services have largely resumed following a significant power outage within the Channel Tunnel.
Thousands of travellers endured hours of disruption on Tuesday when the rail operator was forced to cancel all London to Europe services.
The cancellation was attributed to a dual issue: an overhead power supply problem combined with a failed LeShuttle train, which together blocked all routes.
Eurostar warns of more cancellations after ‘further issues’ overnight
Eurostar warns 'knock-on' delays and cancellations possible today
08:27 , Maryam Zakir-HussainA statement on the Eurostar website said: "We plan to run all of our services today, however due to knock-on impacts there may still be some delays and possible last-minute cancellations."
Is the service running on time this morning?
08:24 , Maryam Zakir-HussainThe first train of the day from London St Pancras to Paris was cancelled and the second was delayed by nearly half an hour.
Others appear to be scheduled as normal, although a new statement from the operator says that “due to knock-on impacts there may still be some delays and possible last-minute cancellations”.
Passengers stranded on train overnight as Channel Tunnel disruption continues
08:23 , Maryam Zakir-HussainEurostar passengers have been warned to expect disruption today despite the resumption of services after a power outage in the Channel Tunnel.
Thousands of passengers faced hours of delays after the train operator cancelled all its London to Europe services on Tuesday when an overhead power supply problem and a failed LeShuttle train blocked all routes.
Some services resumed on the single available line on Tuesday evening with Eurostar saying there were “further issues with rail infrastructure overnight”.
