EPAEurostar passengers are bracing for further possible disruption, after a power outage in the Channel Tunnel caused travel chaos for thousands on Tuesday.
As people rushed to arrive in time for New Year’s Eve, some travelers reported spending more than six hours stuck on trains overnight as services faced more delays.
One man told the BBC he had boarded the 7:01 p.m. service to Paris, but at 03:00 GMT he was still stuck on the train at the tunnel entrance.
He said staff told him there was a “50 per cent chance we would go to Paris, 50 per cent chance we would go back to London”.
“I guess my plan for the new year is now in the hands of the tunnel operators,” said the 27-year-old Parisian.
Eurostar said it planned to operate all its services on Wednesday, but warned there could still be delays and cancellations.
The London-Paris service scheduled for 06:00 GMT has been canceled.
The overhead power problem and a broken LeShuttle train blocked all routes Tuesday, causing disruptions for thousands of people trying to get away for New Year’s Eve.
Some Eurostar and LeShuttle services had resumed by Tuesday evening, but delays remained, with only one of the tunnel’s two rail lines open.
Getlink, which manages the Channel Tunnel, said work continued through the night to resolve the electricity problem.
On Wednesday morning, an update on the Eurostar website said: “Services have resumed today following a power problem in the Channel Tunnel yesterday and other problems with the rail infrastructure overnight.
“We plan to offer all of our services today, but due to the impact there may still be delays and possible last minute cancellations.
“Please check for live updates on your train status on the Train Status & Timetable page.”
Dennis van der Steen, from the Netherlands, was returning home to Amsterdam to spend New Year’s Eve with family and friends.
Instead, he said he spent six hours stuck on a Eurostar train, before it started moving again around 0300 GMT.
“We are stuck,” he told the BBC.
He added that there was no electricity on the train when it stopped and some passengers were sleeping while others were “also very worried”. He was then told that his train would continue its journey.
Another passenger described feeling a “roller coaster of emotions” for hours, unsure whether the train he was on would be able to continue across the Channel or return to London.
His train finally arrived in Brussels, he said, adding: “I’m happy to be home, I saw many families stranded.”
Images of massive crowds of travelers stranded at London’s St Pancras International flooded social media after Tuesday’s power outage.
A photograph shared with the BBC by a train driver for Eurostar appeared to show overhead electrical cables strewn across the tracks.
Meanwhile, cars hoping to use the Channel Tunnel caused traffic jams near the LeShuttle terminal in Folkestone.
The Channel Tunnel accommodates Eurostar services as well as LeShuttle vehicle trains between the United Kingdom and France.
Tim Brown, who was trying to return to the UK after spending Christmas in Germany, told PA News he was stuck in his car on the LeShuttle train for more than three hours, without “access to food or water”.
At least a dozen Eurostar services between the UK, France, Belgium and the Netherlands had been canceled by midday on Tuesday.
The train operator apologized and said passengers could rearrange their plans for free or cancel their reservation and get a refund or e-voucher.
On Tuesday, Eurostar urged its customers “to rebook their journey for another day if possible, with free exchanges available”.
“We also advise customers not to travel to our stations if their trains have already been cancelled.”
