A major power failure in the Channel Tunnel has plunged cross-Channel travel into chaos, with passengers facing severe delays, last-minute cancellations, and urgent warnings to avoid travel.
Severe Disruption and 'Do Not Travel' Advice
Significant issues with the tunnel's overhead power supply have caused widespread disruption to both Eurostar passenger services and Eurotunnel Le Shuttle vehicle transport. The situation is so severe that both Eurostar and National Rail are strongly advising all passengers to postpone their journeys and not to come to stations unless absolutely necessary.
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 work to resolve the complex fault.
Passengers Stranded and Facing Lengthy Delays
The power outage has led to harrowing scenes, with some travellers reportedly trapped inside the tunnel for over four hours. The situation was further complicated by a Le Shuttle train that failed inside the tunnel, hampering recovery efforts.
For those attempting to travel, delays are substantial. At the Folkestone terminal, Le Shuttle is reporting wait times of approximately three and a half hours. On the French side in Calais, current estimates suggest delays of around two hours.
Compensation Rights for Affected Travellers
Passengers caught up in the disruption have rights 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 directly from Eurostar.
Eurotunnel Le Shuttle passengers may also be entitled to compensation vouchers for delays exceeding one hour and are urged to contact the customer service team.
Engineers are on-site working to fix the overhead power supply fault, but no specific timeline for a full return to normal service has been provided. All passengers are strongly encouraged to check live train status updates before considering any travel.
