Eurostar suspends Channel Tunnel trains after power supply fault

Disruption comes during busy end-of-year holiday season in Europe

People stranded at St Pancras International station in London. Reuters

Eurostar on ​Tuesday suspended its ​cross-Channel train services ‌to and from London until ​further notice following a power supply problem in the tunnel ‌that links Britain and France.

On its website, the high-speed train operator warned passengers to expect severe delays. A representative said they did not know when services would resume and declined to comment on the number of passengers affected by the ⁠disruption.

The suspension is expected to cause severe disruption during the busy end-of-year holiday season in Europe. Images shared on social media showed crowds of passengers waiting with luggage at St Pancras station in London.

Eurostar said the supply problem had also caused a train to break down, adding to delays. The train was among those that carry vehicles between Calais in northern France and Folkestone in south-east England, known as LeShuttle. Long queues of cars formed in Folkestone waiting to board.

Cars queuing to board LeShuttle at the Channel Tunnel in Folkestone, Kent. PA

“Please don’t come to the station unless you already have a ticket to travel," Eurostar said on its website. “We regret that trains that can run are subject to severe delays and last-minute cancellations. Please check for live updates on the status of your train on the train status and timetables page.”

Eurostar runs trains from London's St Pancras station to cities including Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam.

A record 19.5 million passengers travelled on Eurostar last year, up nearly 5 per cent on 2023, driven by demand from visitors to the Olympics and Paralympics in Paris.

Eurostar has held a monopoly on passenger services through the tunnel linking Britain and France since it opened in 1994.

British entrepreneur Richard Branson, the man behind the Virgin airline, has vowed to launch a rival service. Italy's Trenitalia has also said it intends to compete with Eurostar on the Paris-London route by 2029.