A major failure in the Channel Tunnel has thrown New Year travel plans into disarray, forcing Eurostar to cancel almost all services to and from London St Pancras on Tuesday 30 December 2025.
Dream Disney Trip Turns to Heartbreak
Among the thousands of passengers affected is Ethlyn Buckmire Edwards, a cancer patient who had planned a dream holiday to Disneyland Paris to celebrate her son's tenth birthday. She revealed to Sky News that she is likely to lose the entire £3,500 spent on the trip for her partner, her baby, and her son.
The family left King's Cross St Pancras at 7am, only to be stranded for hours outside the Channel Tunnel before being brought back to London. Mrs Buckmire Edwards explained they could not afford travel insurance due to the high premiums resulting from her cancer diagnosis.
"We are going to try and go home and salvage the rest of the holiday season," she said, adding, "but to be honest, I don't have the energy, I really don't. We were so looking forward to that trip."
Her nine-year-old son, Dante, praised his mother's resilience: "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."
Families Stranded on New Year's Eve
While the Buckmire Edwards family could return to their London home, international travellers faced being stuck in the capital with nowhere to stay. Charles Nduka-Eze, travelling with his family from Nigeria, described the situation as "a complete disaster."
Their Paris-bound train was turned back to London after they had already checked out of their hotel and paid for accommodation and Disneyland tickets in France. "I'm not concerned about the refund for now, I'm thinking about what to do," Mr Nduka-Eze stated at St Pancras, with his sister confirming the group were now stranded.
The chaos also ruined romantic plans. John Paul, 46, from Peterborough, was gifted a surprise New Year's Eve trip to Paris by his partner Lucy. After five hours on a train that ultimately returned to London, he said, "We'll have to put romance on hold." The couple had a river cruise and Eiffel Tower visit booked for the evening.
Cause of the Widespread Disruption
The crisis was triggered by an issue with the overhead power supply in the Channel Tunnel, compounded by a failed Le Shuttle train. The defective train was eventually moved from the tunnel on Tuesday afternoon.
Eurostar initially advised passengers to postpone journeys before suspending all trains to and from London. Services later partially resumed, but the operator strongly advised against travelling. The disruption also affected Eurostar operations across Europe and caused significant delays to Le Shuttle services in Folkestone, Kent.
The incident, occurring just one day before New Year's Eve, highlights the vulnerability of critical cross-Channel transport links and the severe financial and emotional impact on passengers when they fail.
