Work Continues to Restore Eurotunnel Services After Power Failure Disrupts New Year Travel

Efforts are ongoing to fully restore services through the Channel Tunnel after a power failure caused major disruption to travel plans for thousands of passengers during the busy New Year period.

The incident led to the temporary closure of the tunnel, halting rail and vehicle traffic between the United Kingdom and France. Limited operations have since resumed, with some services running again, but passengers are still facing delays and cancellations as engineers work to stabilise the system.

The Channel Tunnel, which links the UK and mainland Europe beneath the English Channel, partially reopened after emergency repairs allowed a small number of trains to pass through. Services operated by Eurostar and LeShuttle have restarted on a restricted basis, although operators warned that normal schedules are unlikely to return immediately.

The disruption began on Tuesday when a fault in the overhead power supply coincided with a breakdown involving a LeShuttle train inside the tunnel. The combination of technical issues blocked all routes, bringing traffic to a standstill at one of Europe’s busiest transport links at one of the most sensitive times of year.

Passengers travelling between Folkestone in southern England and Calais were among those most affected. Many had planned to cross the Channel to celebrate New Year or return home after the holidays, only to find themselves stranded for hours at terminals on both sides.

Eurotunnel said specialist teams had been working around the clock to repair the damaged infrastructure and safely remove the broken down train. Engineers carried out inspections overnight to ensure the tunnel could reopen without compromising safety. Authorities stressed that while restoring services quickly was a priority, safety checks could not be rushed.

Eurostar advised customers to check their journeys before travelling and warned that some trains may still be cancelled or delayed as the backlog of passengers is cleared. LeShuttle also urged drivers to remain patient, saying boarding times could be longer than usual as traffic is gradually reintroduced.

The disruption caused scenes of frustration at terminals, with long queues forming and passengers reporting limited information during the early stages of the outage. Some travellers described spending much of the night waiting in vehicles or station buildings as staff attempted to manage the situation.

Transport officials acknowledged the scale of the disruption and apologised to those affected. They said the incident highlighted how a single fault can have wide reaching consequences given the tunnel’s importance to cross Channel travel and trade.

The Channel Tunnel handles millions of passengers and large volumes of freight each year, making it a critical link between the UK and continental Europe. Any interruption, particularly during peak travel periods, can quickly ripple through transport networks on both sides.

As repair work continues, operators said they are prioritising stranded passengers and essential travel. They also warned that knock on effects could last for several days, even after the tunnel returns to full capacity.

For now, travellers are being advised to allow extra time, follow guidance from transport providers and consider alternative arrangements where possible until services fully stabilise.