Following a day of significant disruption caused by flooding in a tunnel under the River Thames, Eurostar has announced that it will run all services to London, Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam on Sunday. The flooding led to the cancellation of all Eurostar services between London and Paris on Saturday, seriously affecting New Year’s plans for thousands of travellers.
Upset passengers spent the day scrambling to make alternative travel arrangements, with many still facing expensive hotel bills and significant difficulties getting to their destination. The Port of Dover reported that there was no remaining foot passenger availability on Saturday. However, in a statement on Saturday evening, Eurostar said that flooding in the Thames tunnels had been brought under control, meaning that at least one tunnel was now available, and a full service could operate.
Eurostar warned passengers that Sunday could still see delays and overcrowded stations, with speed restrictions in place in the morning. This disruption comes just 10 days after French worker strikes halted Eurostar services before Christmas.
Stories of difficult situations emerged from passengers on both sides of the Channel, with many struggling to find alternative routes home. Overwhelmed Eurostar staff were unable to help passengers, with one employee revealing that they had 4,000 passengers to assist.
The source of the flooding is yet to be determined, with an investigation underway. Thames Water initially stated that a fire control system was likely to have caused the flooding; however, HS1 said that there was no evidence at this stage to suggest that they were related. This flooding has been the second disruption to Eurostar services in 10 days, and there continues to be significant disruption to Thameslink and Northern Rail services due to staff shortages
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