Eurostar 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.
While some services recommenced on a single available line on Tuesday evening, Eurostar reported “further issues with rail infrastructure overnight”.
A statement on the company’s website confirmed: "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."
On Wednesday, the 6.01am train from St Pancras to Paris’s Gare du Nord was cancelled, and the 6.31am departure was listed as delayed due to "a technical problem on another train" in the tunnel.
All other scheduled services were displayed as running on the company’s website.
A statement issued by Eurostar on Tuesday evening, advising passengers to rebook for another day if possible, said: “Although outside of our control, we apologise for the disruption today and will continue to keep customers updated with the latest information and support them with rescheduling their bookings.”
LeShuttle was also affected by the power issue. After warning of six-hour delays at the Folkestone terminal on Tuesday, the operator said that it had dropped to 30 minutes on Wednesday morning.
Six-hour waits remained in Calais, but passengers were advised to check in as planned.
The Channel Tunnel accommodates Eurostar services as well as LeShuttle vehicle-carrying trains between the UK and France.
Getlink, which operates the Channel Tunnel, said that “an incident related to the power supply to trains occurred last night in part of the Channel Tunnel, affecting train and shuttle traffic”.
On Tuesday, Eurostar staff at St Pancras station in central London were seen handing out water bottles to people waiting by a cordon who were caught up in the delays.
Cars hoping to cross the Eurotunnel caused traffic jams on the approach to the Folkestone terminal.
LeShuttle passenger Tim Brown said he had been stuck in his car on the train at the Calais terminal for more than three hours with “no access to food or water”.
Mr Brown, who was trying to get back to the UK after spending Christmas in Germany, was travelling with his dogs Rilo and Vinnie, who he said were “hating life” stuck on the train.
“The fact that nobody has come around offering everybody a bottle of water is what has shocked me the most,” he said.
“I know things happen, but surely that would be an easy way to help.”
