In brief
Eurostar and Le Shuttle services have resumed normal operations after a major disruption that caused delays for thousands of passengers on New Year's Eve. The disruptions were due to a fault in the overhead power supply and a breakdown of Le Shuttle, which blocked routes. Despite the return to service, Eurostar has cautioned passengers about potential delays and advised them to check for live updates. The company has also announced compensation for affected travelers.
Eurostar and Le Shuttle services between the UK and France have resumed through the Channel Tunnel after major travel disruption on Tuesday.
Thousands of passengers faced hours of delays after Eurostar cancelled most of its London to Europe services due to an overhead power supply problem and a failed Le Shuttle train that blocked all routes.
Repair work took place overnight and rail services through the tunnel in both directions resumed on Wednesday morning.
However, Eurostar urged passengers to check before traveling as it warned of possible knock-on delays and last-minute cancellations.
Most of Eurostar's Wednesday morning services in and out of London St Pancras have departed. Only three—one towards Paris Gare du Nord, another destined for Brussels Midi, and the last bound for Amsterdam Centraal—have been cancelled, according to Eurostar's website.
The high-speed rail firm apologised for any inconvenience caused to passengers.
Eurostar stated, 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.
Passengers are also entitled to enhanced compensation, which includes a 100% refund of their ticket and 150% of their ticket price as an e-voucher.
Le Shuttle services from Folkestone are running normally following earlier delays. However, there are still delays of an hour at Calais, which is an improvement from the previously reported six hours.
The Channel Tunnel accommodates Eurostar services as well as Le Shuttle vehicle-carrying trains. Getlink, which operates the Channel Tunnel, confirmed that work continued through the night to address the power issue.
Images of massive crowds of travellers stranded at London St Pancras International flooded social media due to the power outage.
Crowded conditions also led to traffic jams near Le Shuttle's Terminal in Folkestone with some passengers forced to spend the night on board trains.
