Cross-channel travel has been thrown into chaos today after Eurostar was forced to cancel all of its services. The drastic move follows a major incident involving the overhead power supply in the Channel Tunnel and a failed Le Shuttle train.
Complete Suspension of Services
The operator confirmed the full suspension in a statement to customers on Monday, 30th December 2025. The announcement, issued earlier in the day, cited a dual problem: a fault with the tunnel's overhead power supply and a subsequent breakdown of a Le Shuttle train.
Eurostar's initial advice was for all passengers to postpone their journeys. "We strongly advise all our passengers to postpone their journey to a different date," the company said. They explicitly told travellers: "Please don't come to the station unless you already have a ticket to travel."
Passengers Left in Limbo at St Pancras
The situation escalated throughout the morning. After hours of severe delays and piecemeal cancellations, a full suspension was confirmed. The BBC reported at 12:33pm that all services departing from London's St Pancras International station had been axed for the remainder of the day.
According to reports from the station, the atmosphere was described as 'calm' with the number of people present having 'thinned out' following the announcements. The disruption is extensive, with the AFP news agency confirming the suspension affects all Eurostar routes connecting London with Paris, Amsterdam, and Brussels.
Alternative Travel Options Emerge
In response to the crisis, other transport operators have stepped in to offer alternatives to stranded passengers. The Port of Dover issued an alert stating that ferry operators running between Dover and Calais still have capacity for extra passengers seeking an alternative route to France.
Meanwhile, the train company LNER has offered support to those impacted. An LNER spokesperson said that any customers who had to abandon their journey at London King's Cross could return to their home station on the next available LNER service at no extra cost. The company added that customers choosing to defer travel could use their ticket on a future date of their choice.
The incident represents one of the most significant disruptions to cross-Channel rail travel in recent years, leaving thousands of passengers to seek last-minute alternatives during the busy festive period.
