At least forty Eurostar trains were canceled on Saturday, December 30, due to track flooding in the south of England, announced the company, which provides details of the canceled connections departing from London, but also from Paris, Brussels or Amsterdam. These cancellations, which occur during one of the busiest weekends of the year, will strand thousands of passengers.
“Due to an infrastructure problem on the high-speed line near London, we are forced to cancel some trains to or from London”, wrote Eurostar. According to British rail operator Southeastern, disruptions could last “until the end of the day”. The last train canceled by Eurostar was due to leave Brussels at 8:22 p.m. on Saturday evening.
“Flooding has occurred in both rail tunnels near Ebbsfleet International, meaning both tunnels are closed”writes this railway company. “No train can run” between St Pancras International, the Eurostar departure and arrival station in London, and Ebbsfleet International, she adds.
In addition to Eurostar traffic, these floods on the tracks affect train traffic linking London and the south-east of England. Heavy rain is still expected in this part of the UK on Saturday.
Quiet location in St Pancras
As of Saturday, these cancellations have stranded thousands of passengers. At St Pancras station in London, many passengers were waiting quietly in the middle of the morning, according to an Agence France-Presse journalist on site. ” Sorry for the inconvenience “, writes Eurostar on its site. The company offers passengers the option of exchanging their reservation for a trip at a later date or canceling their ticket.
On December 21, in the middle of the holiday departure period, Eurostar passengers had already been faced with numerous train cancellations due to a surprise strike which paralyzed the Channel Tunnel. A total of thirty trains were canceled that day, leaving thousands of travelers without a solution. Some then turned to the bus or the plane at the last moment, in the hope of reaching their loved ones in time for Christmas. Eurostar traffic finally resumed on December 22.