Travelers journeying between the UK and France encountered significant disruptions today due to a malfunction in the Channel Tunnel’s overhead power supply. This unexpected snag left many holiday plans hanging in the balance.

In response to the issue, Eurostar was forced to suspend all train services linking London, Paris, Amsterdam, and Brussels indefinitely. This decision was further complicated by a stalled LeShuttle train within the tunnel, which added to the mounting travel woes.

Many passengers found themselves on trains that had to return to their points of origin, while tens of thousands more faced long waits at stations both in London and across Europe. The situation left travelers frustrated and uncertain as they tried to make their way ahead of the New Year celebrations.

Eurostar issued a strong advisory urging passengers to expect severe delays and potential last-minute cancellations. The company recommended that travelers reschedule their trips to mitigate the chaos.

As the operator halted all services between the UK, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, those hoping to make it to their destinations in time for the New Year were left scrambling for alternatives. The situation underscored the fragile nature of travel plans during peak periods and the widespread impact of technical glitches.

Motorists were also stuck at the LeShuttle terminals on both sides of the Channel, with three-and-a-half hour delays on the UK side and three hours on the French side.

One man travelling from London to Paris for New Year’s Eve with his partner said ‘we’ll have to put romance on hold’ after their Eurostar train was cancelled.

John Paul, from Peterborough, was bought the trip as a surprise Christmas present from his partner Lucy and said they had spent five hours on a Paris-bound train.

But it then unexpectedly returned to London. Speaking at St Pancras, the 46-year-old said: ‘We left on the seven o’clock train this morning, we were sat on the train for about an hour, I think, waiting to leave from here.

‘Then we got probably about an hour down the track, maybe 40 minutes, and then they basically said the train’s got to stop because the train ahead got a braking issue.

‘So they kept telling us that the driver was trying to fix the brakes on this other train and that the other trains were then backed up and that was basically the same story that we were told all the way through.’

‘I think the thing is, at the minute, there’s no clear information and obviously, we’ve lost a lot of money, haven’t we?’ he added.

Mr Paul said they had a river cruise in Paris and the Eiffel Tower booked for this evening, adding: ‘We’ll have to put romance on hold for a while.’

Among those stuck at St Pancras today were Isabela Morotti, 17, and Luan Castro, 23, from Brazil, who were trying to travel to Paris following an 11-hour flight to the UK.

Isabela told the Standard: ‘We already had a hotel booked in Paris. We were really disappointed.’ Mr Castro added: ‘Now we don’t know if we can go. It’s terrible.’

They were part of a group made up of nine people, many under 18 who were travelling as part of an exchange programme.

Kelly North, who was also stuck at St Pancras, told BBC News: ‘They’ve just said all services are cancelled. People are still waiting here.

‘I think they’re still expecting that they’ll get on, but there’s nothing happening. Everyone’s a bit stressed, they’re all asking for help.’

Bethany Massey-Chase, who was with Ms North at the station, added that they have ‘been lucky and scored one [a train] for tomorrow, but we’ve had to get on really quick because they’re all booking out.’

Another family were stuck at the LeShuttle station in Calais while travelling to Bedfordshire. Ben and Marion Clark were with their three daughters aged five, three, and two.

Mr Clark told the BBC: ‘The first two and a half hours weren’t too bad but the girls have got restless in the last half an hour so we’ve let them round around the boarding carriage to burn off some energy.

‘Some people are getting angry but there’s nothing that can be done, others are sleeping in their cars. We have used up our snacks and now have no plan B or C.’

Crowds of stranded travellers, many with suitcases, swelled at London’s St Pancras station and at Gare du Nord in Paris as the notification went out that their end-of-year holiday plans were being thrown into doubt.

‘I’m disappointed. We were going to do New Year’s Eve in Paris,’ Jessica, a 21-year-old business coordinator looking to travel to France with three friends told AFP in London.

‘We are going to see if we can find another ticket. Otherwise we will stay in London.’

Jodie, who also declined to give her surname, had an Airbnb booked in the French capital until January 4 for her husband and four-year-old daughter.

‘We can’t find tickets for tomorrow. It has disrupted all our holiday. We are looking for alternative routes,’ the 37-year-old told AFP.

Passengers were still left not knowing when, or if, they would travel.

One, Sophie Gontowicz, trying to head back to Paris after three days holidaying in the British capital with her family, said she was taking the disruption ‘philosophically’.

‘In the end, it gives us an extra day of vacation,’ she told AFP.

Passengers also shared their misery on X, with one tweeting: ‘Still stalled for three hours going to Belgium. 

‘Waiting for a train stuck in the only operating tunnel to be moved. Other trains are currently in the same situation behind us. Left London at 7am.’ 

Another wrote: ‘We’ve been stuck for hours. There’s 40 of us on a travel group. All trains have been cancelled.’ A third said: ‘Our train is turning back round to London.’

One wrote: ‘We are stuck in lines of traffic waiting to board Eurostar from Folkestone to Calais. Going nowhere. Power failure apparently. One way to end the year!’ 

A fifth said: ‘I’m sitting in the train station. Massive delays with no updates, everyone traveling today is packed in here like sardines waiting. You’re better off flying.’ 

Others claimed there were trains stuck in the tunnel. One wrote: ‘Stuck on Eurostar to Paris just outside the London tunnel entrance. First due to the power supply and now because the previous train to Brussels is broken down in the tunnel.’ 

A Eurostar spokesman said: ‘There was a power supply problem in the Channel Tunnel, followed by a LeShuttle train coming to a halt inside. All journeys to and from London are suspended until further notice.’ 

A statement on the Eurostar website said: ‘Due to a problem with the overhead power supply and a subsequent failed LeShuttle train, the Channel Runnel is currently closed.

‘Unfortunately, this means we have no choice but to suspend all services today until further notice. Please do not come to the station.

‘We’re very sorry for the impact the situation may have on your travel plans.’

A Eurostar spokesperson said they did not know ‍when ‍services would resume and declined to comment on the number of passengers impacted by the disruption.

A spokeswoman for the Channel Tunnel’s operator Getlink said: ‘There was an incident on Tuesday morning related to a failure of power supply to trains in the tunnel, requiring a technical intervention currently underway on the cables.’ 

Getlink added that traffic would progressively resume from 2pm this afternoon. 

A National Rail statement said: ‘There is a problem with the overhead power supply in the Channel Tunnel and a subsequent failed Le Shuttle train. 

‘Eurostar strongly advise all passengers to postpone their journey to a different date. Please don’t come to the station unless you already have a ticket to travel. Trains that can run are subject to severe delays and last-minute cancellations.’

A Eurostar staff member at the departures area at London St Pancras told passengers that all trains were cancelled because of an issue in the tunnel.

‘Today, nothing at all,’ she added.

Another member of staff was seen handing out water bottles to people waiting by a cordon.

Eurostar later confirmed just before 2pm that a broken down LeShuttle train had been moved out of the Channel Tunnel.

Eurostar also said none of its passengers were stranded inside the tunnel.

And a LeShuttle statement said: ‘Services are temporarily suspended for both terminals due to a power supply issue. We are working hard to resolve this. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.’

Meanwhile the Port of Dover – which is not affected by the disruption – said ferry operators between Dover and Calais have capacity for extra passengers trying to get across the Channel. 

LNER said any customers with tickets dated today who have been affected by the Eurostar disruption can travel on any alternative service for the operator today.

Any LNER passengers abandoning their journey at London King’s Cross were told they could return to their ‘home station’ on the next available LNER service at no extra cost. 

The operator also said LNER customers who choose to defer their Eurostar travel to a different day may use their existing LNER ticket to travel on the same day. 

Eurostar customers may use any Great Western Railway train ticket to return home today at no extra charge. Eurostar customers with GWR tickets for travel today can also travel tomorrow.

The disruption comes in the very busy travel period between Christmas and New Year. 

Eurostar runs trains from London’s St Pancras station to locations including Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam. 

LeShuttle also operates vehicle-carrying trains between Folkestone in Kent and Calais in northern France. 

A record-high 19.5million passengers travelled on Eurostar last year, up nearly 5 per cent on 2023, driven by demand from visitors to the Olympics and Paralympics in Paris.

Eurostar has held a monopoly on passenger services through the tunnel linking Britain and France since it opened in 1994.

But British entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson – the man behind the Virgin airline – has vowed to launch a rival service. 

Italy’s Trenitalia has also said it intends to compete with Eurostar on the Paris-London route by 2029.