Eurostar Chaos: Channel Tunnel Power Failure Strands Thousands

Major Disruption Halts Cross-Channel Rail Services

Eurostar, the high-speed rail service connecting London with Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam, has been plunged into chaos following a major power failure in the Channel Tunnel. The disruption, which began on December 30, 2025, has left thousands of travelers stranded during one of the busiest holiday periods of the year.

According to EuroNews reports, the problems started with an overhead power supply issue overnight Monday, which was then compounded by a broken-down LeShuttle train that stopped inside the tunnel. This double failure forced the suspension of services in both directions for most of Tuesday, creating what one passenger described as 'absolute chaos from the moment we arrived'.

Technical Problems and Stranded Passengers

The Channel Tunnel, operated by Getlink (formerly Eurotunnel), experienced technical difficulties with its overhead power lines early Tuesday morning. This was followed by a separate incident involving one of the Le Shuttle trains that transport vehicles through the tunnel. The combination of these issues created a perfect storm of disruption.

CNBC reported that Eurostar suspended all services due to the major power outage during the peak New Year travel season. The outage brought one of Europe's busiest international rail corridors to a standstill, affecting thousands of travelers during the holiday period.

Betty Ndukaeze, a stranded traveler at London's St Pancras station, told the BBC: 'We've been waiting over four hours on the train with no information about when we might move. We were traveling from elsewhere in the UK to Paris for New Year's celebrations with family.'

Gradual Resumption and Ongoing Delays

While Getlink announced that train traffic between France and England was gradually resuming, this appears to apply primarily to vehicle transport services rather than Eurostar passenger trains. A Eurostar spokesperson told the NOS: 'We continue to work on what we can do, and we're keeping our customers directly informed about developments.'

The company's website warns that trains that do run will experience severe delays and may still be cancelled later. 'Please do not come to the station if your train has been confirmed as cancelled,' is the advice to travelers.

Impact on Holiday Travel

The timing couldn't be worse. According to Al Jazeera's coverage, the disruption occurred during the busy holiday period, affecting thousands trying to reach holiday destinations. The Channel Tunnel typically sees around 400 trains daily through its three tubes - two for freight and passenger trains, and one service tunnel.

Ethlyn Buckmire, a cancer patient traveling to Disneyland Paris for her son's birthday, faces losing £3,500 spent on the trip. 'I couldn't afford travel insurance because of my cancer diagnosis,' she told Sky News. Another family from Nigeria was stranded in London after their Paris-bound train was turned back, having already checked out of their hotel and paid for Paris accommodations.

Company Response and Passenger Options

Eurostar has cancelled a series of trains for the coming days, affecting not only services from continental Europe to the UK but also routes like Amsterdam to Disneyland Paris. Passengers can change their bookings free of charge to another date and time, or cancel for a substantial refund.

The disruption highlights the vulnerability of critical cross-border transportation infrastructure. Eurostar, which transported a record 19.5 million passengers in 2024 according to Wikipedia data, has experienced several disruptions this year, though this appears to be among the most severe during peak travel periods.

As engineers continue working to resolve the power supply issues, travelers are advised to check the Eurostar website for updates and consider postponing non-essential journeys until services return to normal.