Eurostar has suspended all rail services linking Britain with mainland Europe on Tuesday after a power supply failure disrupted operations in the Channel Tunnel, bringing one of Europe’s busiest international rail corridors to a standstill at the height of the winter travel season.
Train services between London and Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam were fully halted, leaving thousands of passengers stranded, including many at St Pancras International Station in London.
The operator had earlier warned travelers to defer their journeys, citing severe operational challenges caused by an overhead power supply fault inside the tunnel, according to DW.COM
In a statement, Eurostar said trains that were technically able to operate were nevertheless facing extensive delays and sudden cancellations, apologizing for the disruption and advising passengers to reschedule their trips.
Later in the day, the company announced that services were beginning to resume gradually following the partial reopening of the Channel Tunnel.
However, Eurostar stopped short of confirming which routes had restarted and emphasized that the underlying power issue had not been fully resolved.
A company spokesperson told international media that there was no clear timeline for the full restoration of services and declined to estimate how many passengers had been affected.
Another spokesperson explained that the disruption stemmed from a power failure in the tunnel, after which a shuttle train came to a halt inside, compounding operational difficulties.
The incident has had ripple effects beyond passenger rail. Le Shuttle, which transports vehicles between Calais in France and Folkestone in the UK, also confirmed a suspension of services, citing power supply problems on both sides of the Channel.
Eurostar operates high-speed passenger services connecting London with major European destinations including Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam and Disneyland Paris. The disruption comes after a record year for the company, which carried 19.5 million passengers in 2024, marking its strongest performance to date.
As engineers continue work to stabilize the power supply, Eurostar has urged customers to avoid travel until further notice, warning that delays and cancellations may persist even as limited services resume.
