A major failure in the Channel Tunnel on Tuesday 30 December 2025 led to the cancellation of almost all Eurostar services to and from London, causing travel chaos for thousands of passengers just one day before New Year's Eve.
Family's Dream Holiday Ruined
Among those affected was Ethlyn Buckmire Edwards, a cancer patient who had spent £3,500 on a dream trip to Disneyland Paris to celebrate her son's 10th birthday. Her family left King's Cross St Pancras at 7am only to be stranded for hours outside the tunnel before being returned to London.
She revealed to Sky News that due to her cancer diagnosis, travel insurance premiums were prohibitively expensive, so the family did not have cover. They now face losing the entire sum spent on the trip. "We were so looking forward to that trip," she said, adding that she lacked the energy to salvage the holiday season.
Her nine-year-old son, Dante, praised his mother's resilience, stating: "Ever since my mum has been through cancer, she has been having a baby, chemotherapy, she has still coped, so I think she is doing a very great job."
Passengers Stranded Ahead of New Year
The widespread disruption left numerous passengers stranded in London with nowhere to stay. Charles Nduka-Eze, travelling with family from Nigeria, described a "complete disaster" after their Paris-bound train was turned back. Having checked out of their London hotel and pre-paid for accommodation and Disneyland tickets in Paris, the group was left confused and seeking solutions.
Meanwhile, John Paul, 46, from Peterborough, saw a romantic New Year's Eve surprise trip to Paris ruined. After five hours on a train that unexpectedly returned to London, he lamented the loss of money and lack of clear information, with planned river cruises and Eiffel Tower visits now cancelled. "We'll have to put romance on hold," he said.
Cause of the Chaos and Ongoing Disruption
The crisis was triggered by an issue with the overhead power supply in the Channel Tunnel, compounded by a failed Le Shuttle train which had to be removed from the tunnel on Tuesday afternoon. This caused a knock-on effect for Eurostar operations across Europe.
Eurostar initially advised passengers to postpone journeys before suspending all trains to and from London. While some services gradually resumed later on Tuesday, the company strongly advised against travelling. In Folkestone, Kent, significant queues formed as Le Shuttle services faced postponements and delays.
The incident highlights the vulnerability of cross-Channel transport and the severe financial and emotional impact on passengers, particularly those without the safety net of travel insurance.
