Sara Menai, edited by Alexandre Dalifard / Photo credit: HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP
modified to
8:28 a.m., December 31, 2023
On Saturday, due to flooding of the tracks in the Channel Tunnel, all trains to and from London were canceled. For the occasion, Europe 1 went to Saint Pancras station, in London, where passengers are reluctantly trying to change their plans.
Sad news for everyone who had planned to travel by Eurostar on Saturday. All trains to and from London were canceled on the eve of New Year’s Eve, due to flooding of the tracks in the Channel Tunnel. The company invited passengers to postpone or cancel their trip. In London, those who had planned to celebrate the New Year in Paris decided against themselves to change their plans.
7,000 people affected
Saturday December 30, 2023 will be remembered as a day of chaos at Saint Pancras station, London. A fire hydrant in the Channel Tunnel is believed to be responsible for flooding the tracks. So, on Saturday, at the start of the day, around ten trains were canceled. Then, early in the afternoon, the ax fell. The 42 trains of the day were ultimately all canceled. No departures from or to London, and thousands of passengers stranded. “We were supposed to take the children to Disneyland, but unfortunately we just learned that all the trains were canceled. So we are going to drive to the Eurotunnel and see if it works,” notes this father.
Same strategy for this tourist, in vain. “We looked at the flights and they are all full. We even looked at driving to the Eurotunnel but it’s impossible,” she laments at the microphone of Europe 1. “I’m going to try to make myself refund my ticket, or postpone it to another date”, hopes, for his part, this young man. The end of December is one of the busiest periods in terms of rail traffic. Saturday was a day of big departures in the United Kingdom. According to British media, at least 7,000 people were affected by these cancellations. Some of the impacted travelers will try their luck at the station this Sunday, but obviously not everyone will be able to board.
And for this day therefore, Eurostar affirms that the circulation of all trains will resume. The flooding in the Thames tunnels has been brought under control, the company writes, while specifying that certain speed restrictions will be put in place in the morning, which could lead to delays.