Eurostar suspends all Europe trains over power issue during holiday travel

Eurostar has suspended all passenger train services between the United Kingdom and mainland Europe after a power failure and a train becoming stuck inside the Channel Tunnel, causing major disruption during the busy holiday travel period.

The interruption halted rail traffic through the undersea tunnel linking Britain with continental Europe, forcing the operator to indefinitely suspend services between London and key European cities including Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam. Eurostar said the disruption was due to a “technical intervention” required inside the Channel Tunnel, though no timeline was given for when services would resume.

At London’s St Pancras International station, large numbers of travellers were left stranded as departure boards showed widespread cancellations. Passengers were seen waiting with luggage, seeking information and trying to make alternative travel arrangements at short notice. Many reported difficulties securing flights or ferry crossings as other transport options were already heavily booked during the holiday season.

Eurostar advised customers not to travel until further notice and to check official updates before heading to stations. The company said it was offering refunds or ticket exchanges to affected passengers while engineers worked to resolve the power-related issue and safely clear the stuck train.

The Channel Tunnel is a vital transport link between the UK and Europe, carrying millions of passengers each year. Because all Eurostar services rely on the tunnel, technical problems can quickly disrupt international travel across multiple countries.

Transport authorities in the UK and France said they were working closely with tunnel operators to restore services as quickly as possible, while warning passengers to expect continued delays until normal operations are fully restored.