Flooding in railway tunnels in southeastern England forced the cancellation of all trains linking London with the European mainland on Saturday, international rail operator Eurostar said, disrupting New Year holiday travel for thousands of passengers.
Quick Read
- Eurostar Train Cancellations: All trains connecting London with mainland Europe were canceled due to flooding in railway tunnels in southeastern England.
- Extent of Service Disruption: Initially, 14 trains were canceled, but the situation escalated, leading to the cancellation of all 41 scheduled trains for the day.
- Cause of Flooding: The exact reason for the flooding, which occurred in tunnels under the River Thames near Ebbsfleet, remains unclear. The area has recently experienced heavy rain, and there are warnings for strong winds in southern England.
- Impact on Travelers: The cancellations have disrupted travel plans for thousands of passengers during the New Year holiday period. Television footage showed significant water accumulation in one of the tunnels, and many passengers were stranded at St Pancras station in London.
- Eurostar’s Response: Eurostar expressed understanding of the disruption’s significance, especially at the end of the festive season, and is providing support to affected customers at stations.
- Previous Disruption: This is the second major disruption for Eurostar during the holiday season, following a surprise strike by French workers on December 21 that impacted Christmas travel.
The Associated Press has the story:
Flooded UK tunnels force Eurostar to cancel all London trains
Newslooks- PARIS/LONDON, Dec 30 (Reuters) –
Flooding in railway tunnels in southeastern England forced the cancellation of all trains linking London with the European mainland on Saturday, international rail operator Eurostar said, disrupting New Year holiday travel for thousands of passengers.
Eurostar had initially cancelled 14 trains running on Saturday but said it had decided to cancel all of the day’s services – a total of 41 trains – as the flooding persisted.
It was not immediately clear what had caused the flooding in the railway tunnels under the River Thames near Ebbsfleet, east of London.
Parts of England have faced heavy rain in recent days and an official “yellow warning” for strong and gusty winds is in place in southern England.
Television footage showed water gushing into one of the tunnels and covering the track, while at St Pancras station in London, hundreds of stranded passengers with suitcases sat waiting on the concourse.
“We understand this is a vital time to get home at the end of the festive season and ahead of New Year and we are supporting customers in stations,” Eurostar said in an emailed statement.
The cancellation is the second disruption for Eurostar customers during this holiday season. On Dec. 21, a surprise industrial strike by French workers thwarted Christmas travel plans for thousands.
