Eurostar passengers have been told to brace for significant delays as services slowly resume following a major power failure in the Channel Tunnel. The incident, which occurred on Tuesday, 30 December 2025, led to the cancellation of all London to Europe services, leaving thousands of New Year travellers stranded.
Power failure causes complete tunnel blockage
The disruption began when an overhead power supply problem struck part of the Channel Tunnel. The situation was compounded by a failed LeShuttle train, which together blocked all routes through the vital cross-Channel link. Getlink, the tunnel operator, confirmed the incident "related to the power supply to trains" had severely affected both Eurostar and LeShuttle vehicle-carrying traffic.
By Tuesday evening, a partial resumption was possible, but Eurostar warned customers that only one line was available, leading to continued "delays and longer journey times than usual." The operator strongly advised passengers to rebook their journeys for another day if possible, offering free exchanges.
Passenger frustration mounts at stations
The fallout was felt acutely at London's St Pancras International station, where Eurostar staff were seen handing out water bottles to delayed passengers waiting behind cordons. On the roads, cars hoping to use the Eurotunnel service caused lengthy traffic jams on the approach to the Folkestone terminal in Kent.
LeShuttle, which carries vehicles between Folkestone and Calais, also faced severe disruption. The operator reported services were resuming but warned of six-hour delays at the Folkestone terminal. One passenger, Tim Brown, described being stuck in his car on a train at the Calais terminal for over three hours with no access to food or water for himself or his dogs.
Gradual return to normal operations
Getlink stated on Tuesday evening that there was a "gradual resumption of traffic," with services operating alternately in both directions. A spokesman added that work would continue overnight to enable a return to normal conditions.
Eurostar reiterated its apology for the disruption, stating it was "outside of our control," and promised to keep customers updated. The advice remained for passengers not to travel to stations if their train had already been cancelled, as the operator worked to clear the significant backlog.
