Eurostar trains were canceled until at least 4pm GMT on Saturday as tracks in southern England were flooded, leaving thousands of passengers stranded on the eve of New Year's celebrations.
“We cannot run our trains until further notice. We don't know when traffic will resume. “All Eurostar departures before 4pm (GMT and local time) have been cancelled,” said a statement broadcast from Saint Pancras, the Eurostar departure and arrival station in the British capital.
“You are asked not to join the queue,” it also says.
Trains from London to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam are canceled. No Eurostar arrives in St Pancras. According to the company, at least fifteen trains were canceled.
In the train station in the middle of the day, thousands of passengers wait in silence, their phones in their hands, hoping to book a flight, a ferry or a hotel in London.
These cancellations were due to “flooding of the tunnels” between St Pancras International and Ebbsfleet station in southeast England, Eurostar said in a statement.
Network Rail's train service “continues to do everything possible and will inform Eurostar whether services can be maintained today,” Eurostar added.
According to British train operator South Eastern Railway, the disruption could last “until the end of the day”.
“There has been flooding in both railway tunnels near Ebbsfleet International, meaning both tunnels are closed,” explains this railway company.
Geeske de Jong, a communications specialist, was scheduled to take an 11:05 a.m. train to Amsterdam with her husband and three children, but it was canceled. “We are looking for a ferry because all the planes are full,” she told AFP. “We're having a party at our house tomorrow night, but we don't know if we'll be there!” says this 40-year-old woman with a smile. “At least we had a nice holiday in London!”
Aurelio Gomes, who works in the automotive industry in the Paris region, still has hope. The train that he has to take at 6:01 p.m. with his wife and their 15-year-old daughter has not yet been announced as canceled. “We don’t know what to do while we wait to find out. We hope they open the tunnel quickly. I’m keeping my fingers crossed,” he said.
“The trip has been fun so far,” jokes Isabella Sloan, a 17-year-old Australian traveling through Europe with her parents and two sisters. After a few days in London, the family was supposed to go to Paris, but their train was canceled. “We are trying to find a solution to reach Paris. Maybe the bus,” she explains.
“We have booked tickets to the Palace of Versailles for Monday! Who knows if we can do it!” adds Isabella Sloan.
The cancellations, coming on one of the busiest weekends of the year, will bring thousands of passengers to a standstill.
Eurostar “deeply regrets the unforeseen issues affecting our customers and our services,” the company wrote in a statement. “We understand this is a critical time to return home at the end of the holiday season and before the New Year.”
The company offers passengers the opportunity to exchange their reservation for a trip at a later date or cancel their ticket.
Back on December 21st, in the middle of the holiday departure period, Eurostar passengers suffered numerous train cancellations due to a surprise strike that brought the Channel Tunnel to a standstill.
A total of 30 trains were canceled that day, leaving thousands of travelers unable to find a solution.
On December 22nd, Eurostar services finally resumed.