Channel Tunnel power outage brings Eurostar services out of London to a halt

A Channel Tunnel power outage brought Eurostar services out of London to a standstill on Thursday, with all trains towards Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam cancelled until further notice.

Passengers arriving at London St Pancras International were told by staff to postpone their journeys and rebook for a later date as disruption rippled across the cross-Channel network. By midday, at least a dozen Eurostar services between the UK and mainland Europe had been cancelled, with many more delayed or altered.

The problem began overnight after a power supply issue in the Channel Tunnel caused a Le Shuttle train to fail. Although the faulty train has since been moved out of the tunnel, knock-on effects continued throughout the morning, affecting both rail passengers and motorists.

Eurostar confirmed that services to and from London were suspended while the situation was assessed. In a statement, the company said customers could exchange tickets free of charge or opt for a refund or e-voucher, adding that it would continue to provide updates as more information became available.

Eurotunnel, which operates Le Shuttle vehicle services between Folkestone and Calais, also suspended crossings. It said services were expected to resume gradually from mid-afternoon, once power supplies had been stabilised and safety checks completed. More information for affected travellers is being updated directly on the official Eurostar travel updates page.

For many travellers, the disruption quickly turned into a long wait. Ben Clark, travelling from Calais with his wife and three daughters, said his family had been stuck on board a Le Shuttle train since mid-morning.

“The first couple of hours weren’t too bad,” he said. “But the girls have got restless now, so we’ve let them run around the boarding carriage to burn off some energy. We’ve used up our snacks and there’s no real plan B.”

On the UK side, delays of more than three hours were reported at Folkestone, with some passengers choosing to abandon the tunnel altogether in favour of ferry crossings. Matthew Webber, waiting to travel with a group from Suffolk, said the lack of clear information had added to the frustration.

“Not a lot of information is being given out, which is poor,” he said. “Everyone is just waiting and hoping they’ll get through.”

Conditions were similar in northern France, where queues built up at the Calais terminal. Steph Roberts, returning to Kent with her husband and their bulldog after visiting family over Christmas, said they had received little guidance while waiting.

“We’ve not had any updates or been given any food or water,” she said. “We’re just trying to pass the time and take the dog out when we can.”

National Rail warned that disruption linked to the Channel Tunnel power outage could continue until further notice, urging passengers to check before travelling and to avoid unnecessary journeys where possible.

For more independent coverage of London’s transport disruption and infrastructure stories, follow EyeOnLondon. We’d like to hear how the delays affected your journey.

Follow us on:

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest videos and updates!

We value your thoughts! Share your feedback and help us make EyeOnLondon even better!