Eurostar has urged passengers to stay away from its stations and rebook their journeys after a major power supply failure in the Channel Tunnel caused the cancellation of all its London to Europe services on Tuesday 30 December 2025.
Technical Fault Halts Cross-Channel Travel
The severe disruption, which began on Monday night, was caused by an overhead power supply problem within the Channel Tunnel, compounded by a separate failed LeShuttle train which blocked all routes. Operator Getlink confirmed a technical intervention was urgently required, leading to a temporary suspension of all traffic in both directions.
While some limited services resumed on Tuesday evening, Eurostar warned that only one tunnel line was operational. The company stated: “This means there will continue to be delays and longer journey times than usual this evening.” They strongly advised customers with cancelled trains not to come to stations and to rebook for another day using free exchanges.
Passenger Frustration Mounts at St Pancras
The chaos hit thousands of passengers hoping for a New Year getaway. At London's St Pancras International, a Eurostar staff member confirmed to waiting crowds that all trains for the day were cancelled, with another seen handing out water bottles to those stranded behind cordons.
Among those affected was John Paul, 46, from Peterborough, whose surprise Christmas trip to Paris with his partner Lucy was ruined. Their train departed at 7am but returned to London after five hours. “We’ll have to put romance on hold,” he said, having missed a booked river cruise and Eiffel Tower visit. He expressed frustration at the lack of clear information and the financial loss incurred.
LeShuttle Passengers Endure Lengthy Ordeals
The vehicle-carrying LeShuttle service was also severely impacted. Although services between Folkestone and Calais resumed, the operator warned of six-hour delays at the Folkestone terminal, causing significant traffic jams on approach roads.
Passenger Tim Brown, trying to return to the UK from Germany with his dogs, was stuck in his car on a train at Calais for over three hours with no access to food or water. He criticised the lack of basic provisions, saying: “The fact that nobody has come around offering everybody a bottle of water is what has shocked me the most.”
The Department for Transport acknowledged the ongoing significant disruption and stated it was working with operators and local resilience forums to minimise the impact. Eurostar and Eurotunnel both apologised for the inconvenience, which was outside their direct control, and pledged to keep customers updated.
