Flooding of tracks in the south of England forced Eurostar to cancel all its trains to and from London for Saturday, December 30, the railway company announced on its website. These cancellations, which occur during one of the busiest weekends of the year, will strand thousands of passengers.
“Due to flooding of a tunnel on the high speed line near London, we are having to cancel all our trains on our line. (And) to London on Saturday December 30 », writes Eurostar. At the start of the day, only certain trains on the line, initially around ten then around forty, were affected by the cancellations.
British rail operator Southeastern had predicted the disruption could last. “until the end of the day”. The last train canceled by Eurostar was due to leave Brussels at 8:22 p.m. on Saturday evening.
“Flooding has occurred in both rail tunnels near Ebbsfleet International, meaning both tunnels are closed”writes this railway company. “No train can run” between St Pancras International, the Eurostar departure and arrival station in London, and Ebbsfleet International, she adds.
In addition to Eurostar traffic, these floods on the tracks affect the circulation of trains dependent on London and the south-east of England. Heavy rain is still expected in this part of the UK on Saturday.
Quiet location in St Pancras
As of Saturday, these cancellations have stranded thousands of passengers. At St Pancras station in London, many passengers were waiting quietly in the middle of the morning, according to an Agence France-Presse journalist on site. ” Sorry for the inconvenience “, writes Eurostar on its site. The company offers passengers the option of exchanging their reservation for a trip at a later date or canceling their ticket.
On December 21, in the middle of the holiday departure period, Eurostar passengers had already been faced with numerous train cancellations due to a surprise strike which paralyzed the Channel Tunnel. A total of thirty trains were canceled that day, leaving thousands of travelers without a solution. Some then turned at the last moment to the car or the plane, in the hope of reaching their loved ones in time for Christmas. Eurostar traffic finally resumed on December 22.
