A major power supply failure in the Channel Tunnel has plunged cross-Channel travel into severe chaos, with passengers stranded for hours and operators issuing a stark 'do not travel' warning.
Travel Chaos as Power Fails in the Tunnel
Significant disruptions hit Eurostar and Eurotunnel Le Shuttle services on Thursday after a critical fault with the overhead power supply inside the Channel Tunnel. The incident has led to widespread delays, last-minute cancellations, and left some travellers trapped inside the tunnel itself for over four hours.
Both Eurostar and National Rail have strongly advised all passengers to postpone their journeys and not to come to London St Pancras, Folkestone, or Calais terminals unless absolutely necessary. The situation was further complicated by a reported failure of a Le Shuttle train inside the tunnel, hampering recovery efforts.
Severe Delays and Widespread Cancellations
The impact on services has been substantial. For Le Shuttle, which carries vehicles, delays of approximately three and a half hours are being reported at the Folkestone terminal. In Calais, wait times are estimated at around two hours.
On the Eurostar front, multiple afternoon and evening services running between London St Pancras and Paris Gare du Nord have been officially cancelled. Officials have warned that further cancellations are likely as engineers continue to work on resolving the power fault. No specific timeline for a full return to normal service has yet been provided.
Compensation Rights for Affected Passengers
Passengers facing significant delays are entitled to compensation. For Eurostar services, the compensation structure is as follows:
- Delays of 60-119 minutes: 30% of ticket price as a voucher or 25% as a cash refund.
- Delays of 120-179 minutes: 60% of ticket price as a voucher or 50% as a cash refund.
- Delays over 180 minutes: 75% of ticket price as a voucher or 50% as a cash refund.
Alternatively, if a service is cancelled or delayed by over an hour, passengers can exchange their ticket for another date or request a full refund. Eurotunnel Le Shuttle passengers may also be entitled to vouchers for delays exceeding one hour and are urged to contact the customer service team.
All travellers are being urged to check live train status updates before attempting any journey and to follow the latest advice from operators as the situation develops.
