Train services through the Channel Tunnel were suspended for much of Tuesday after a power supply failure, causing long delays and leaving thousands stranded during peak New Year holiday travel.
A fault in the overhead power supply brought cross-channel travel to a standstill, disrupting Eurostar and Le Shuttle services between Britain and continental Europe. The suspension hit London, Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam routes during one of the busiest weeks of the year, with stranded passengers crowding terminals and stations.
Eurostar said at 15:30 GMT that the 50 km rail tunnel had partially reopened and services were resuming gradually, though it warned the power issue remained unresolved. The operator urged passengers to postpone travel, citing heavy disruption and limited capacity. Getlink, responsible for the tunnel infrastructure and Le Shuttle, confirmed repair work was underway and traffic would return gradually, with additional services planned to reduce the growing backlog.
Several hundred travellers found themselves stuck in their vehicles at Folkestone, unable to move forward to France or return to Britain after completing passport checks. Diapers and baby food were distributed as delays stretched into hours. Among those waiting was Alison Raby, whose planned day trip to Belgium became impossible. Another passenger, Phil Groves, travelling to Paris for New Year’s Eve, described the queue as mammoth after more than six hours of waiting, noting that even as services restarted, many would not make the earliest trains.
At London St Pancras, passengers filled the concourse, some in tears and demanding information. One traveller was taken away by police after a heated exchange, shouting that he simply wanted to know whether he would see his family. The Port of Dover said it was operating a turn up and go system for those seeking alternatives, with ferry operators able to take extra travellers.
The Channel Tunnel is a key artery for European holiday movement. In 2024, Le Shuttle carried 2.2 million passenger vehicles and 1.2 million trucks, while Eurostar reported a record 19.5 million customers. Tuesday’s breakdown turned festive travel into chaos, with hopes pinned on repairs holding long enough to move waiting crowds before the new year.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis is due in Türkiye on Wednesday for talks with Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, as the two NATO allies seek to sustain a fragile thaw after ...
Polish prosecutors have requested a European arrest warrant for former Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro, who was granted political asylum in Hungary l...
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a phone conversation with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday, diplomatic sources s...
...
French President Emmanuel Macron has warned that Europe should prepare for fresh friction with the U.S. and treat what he called the ‘Greenland mome...
Australia’s move to ban social media access for children under 16 has intensified a global debate, as governments across Europe and beyond weigh tougher rules amid growing concerns over mental health, safety and screen addiction.
Double world champion Max Langenhan delivered a dominant performance to win men’s luge singles gold on Sunday (8 February), breaking the track record four consecutive times as Germany extended its grip on the sport, now winning four of the past five Olympic titles.
A London court has sentenced Russian captain Vladimir Motin to six years in prison for gross negligence over a 2025 ship collision that killed Filipino crew member Mark Pernia, whose body was never found.
Russia expelled a British diplomat it accused of being an undeclared intelligence operative, a claim dismissed by London as “malicious and baseless”, with the UK saying it was weighing its response on Thursday.
U.S. President Donald Trump has criticised American freestyle skier Hunter Hess after the athlete said he felt conflicted about representing the United States at the Winter Olympics in Italy, sparking a public clash that highlights growing political tensions surrounding the Games.
U.S. skiing great Lindsey Vonn underwent surgery in an Italian hospital on Sunday after her attempt to win Olympic downhill gold ended in a violent crash just seconds into the race at the Milano Cortina Winter Games.
JD Vance arrived in Armenia on Monday (9 February), becoming the first sitting U.S. Vice President to visit the country, as Yerevan and Washington agreed to cooperate in the civil nuclear sector in a bid to deepen engagement in the South Caucasus.
António José Seguro’s decisive victory over far-right challenger André Ventura marks an historic moment in Portuguese politics, but analysts caution that the result does not amount to a rejection of populism.
J.D. Vance met Azerbaijan's president Ilham Aliyev in Baku on a rare visit by a sitting U.S. vice president, signalling a renewed push to deepen cooperation with Azerbaijan on energy, security and regional stability.
Anti-government protestors clashed with police in Albania's capital Tirana on Tuesday evening as thousands gathered to demand the resignation of the deputy prime minister over alleged corruption.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis is due in Türkiye on Wednesday for talks with Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, as the two NATO allies seek to sustain a fragile thaw after decades of strained relations.
Polish prosecutors have requested a European arrest warrant for former Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro, who was granted political asylum in Hungary last month, amid allegations of large-scale misuse of public funds and abuse of power.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a phone conversation with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday, diplomatic sources said.
Senator Chuck Schumer appeared in Washington alongside survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse to introduce proposed legislation known as ‘Virginia’s Law’, aimed at eliminating the statute of limitations for sex traffickers and abusers.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment