Eurostar passengers have been warned ‘please don’t come to the station’ due to severe delays from power issues and a train which ‘failed’ inside the Channel Tunnel.
All services today have been suspended until further notice, with the rail company apologising for the disruption affecting passengers travelling from London St Pancras, Paris Gare du Nord, and anyone hoping to reach the UK from destinations including Amsterdam and Brussels.
Drivers bringing their own cars on the Eurotunnel were also affected, though a partial resumption of services was expected this afternoon.
Several train services have been marked as cancelled on the Eurostar website, including the 2.31pm, 3.31pm, and 8.01pm services to Paris.
One passenger for the Channel Tunnel told Metro she and her family had been waiting in their car at Calais for three hours after going through passport control on their way home from a minibreak
‘We were maybe three cars away from entering the train,’ she said of the moment they got stuck. ‘They have been giving us a few updates, saying they are servicing electrical issues with the train.’
Around 1pm, they heard a tannoy announcement that boarding would finally take place, which was met with ‘loud cheers and honking’ from other drivers who were tired of waiting in rainy weather.
The 23-year-old product manager said although they only had sparkling water in the car with them and had been getting quite hungry, there was at least a kiosk selling crisps, and toilets available.
Footage from the London terminal this morning showed a packed waiting room, as passengers waited for news, while another motorist stuck at Calais shared a photo of stationary cars, writing: ‘We are stuck in lines of traffic waiting to board Eurostar from Folkestone to Calais. Going nowhere. Power failure apparently. One way to end the year!’
Eurostar said in an earlier status update: ‘Due to a problem with the overhead power supply in the Channel Tunnel and a subsequent failed Le Shuttle train, we strongly advise all our passengers to postpone their journey to a different date.
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‘Please don’t come to the station unless you already have a ticket to travel.
‘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.’
There are currently no tickets showing as available for trains today from the 2.31pm service onwards.
Le Shuttle, the train service for drivers, warned: ‘Services are temporarily suspended for both terminals due to a power supply issue. We are working hard to resolve this. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.’
Can I get a refund for a cancelled train?
Eurostar says that passengers can do one of the following if they want to change their plans:
• Exchange your booking for free to travel in the same travel class at a different time or date. It only takes a minute to rearrange your trip.
• Cancel your booking and claim an e-voucher. You will have 12 months from the date of your disrupted journey to redeem it on eurostar.com.
• Cancel your booking and get a refund. You’ll receive a refund for the value of your ticket but not for any booking or exchange fees. The request will be processed within 28 days.
You have three months from the date you were due to travel to claim any refund or exchange.
Anyone who is delayed overnight has the right to be given accommodation in a hotel, or be reimbursed for the cost.
What about delayed trains?
Travellers are entitled to compensation if their train is delayed by over 60 minutes, even if they end up taking it.
You must wait at least 24 hours before claiming to allow systems to update, then have three months from the date of the delay to make the claim.
The amount which can be claimed back depends on how long the delay was, going up to 75% of the cost of the affected leg as a Eurostar e-voucher, or 50% of the cost as a cash refund, if the delay is over 180 minutes (three hours).
Can I claim back the cost of travelling home another way?
Contact Eurostar first to discuss the possibility of funding alternative means of travel, such as a flight or ferry,as this is not guaranteed.
London North Eastern Railway said any customers who have had to abandon their journey in London King’s Cross can return to their home station on the next available LNER service at no additional cost.
If people defer their Eurostar travel to a different day, they can also use their existing LNER ticket to travel to the newly booked service.
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