Passengers travelling between the UK and continental Europe are facing the prospect of extended delays and cancellations, following a major technical fault that brought services through the Channel Tunnel to a standstill for much of Tuesday.
What Caused the Major Disruption?
The widespread travel chaos began on Tuesday 30 December 2025, when a critical power supply failure, caused by a technical fault, forced the suspension of all Eurostar and Le Shuttle train services. The situation was compounded by a failed Le Shuttle train, which blocked all available routes through the tunnel.
This unprecedented outage occurred during one of the busiest travel weeks of the year, upending the New Year's plans for thousands of passengers in London, Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam. Repairs to the overhead power lines are ongoing, but the operator Getlink confirmed that traffic is only being restored slowly in both directions.
Limited Service and Passenger Advice
Eurostar managed to resume a limited number of services gradually from around 3pm on Tuesday. However, the company urgently advised passengers to stay away from stations unless absolutely necessary.
"As the overhead power supply issues in the Channel Tunnel still remain, only one line is available to run trains on," a Eurostar statement explained. "This means there will continue to be delays and longer journey times than usual this evening."
The train operator strongly recommended that customers rebook their journeys for another day if possible, offering free exchanges. They also apologised for the disruption, which they stated was outside of their control, and pledged to continue providing updates.
Personal Stories of Disappointment and Loss
The technical failure has had severe personal consequences for many travellers. Among those affected was cancer patient Ethlyn Buckmire, who had spent £3,500 on a dream 10th birthday trip to Disneyland Paris for her son. Their train was turned away at the Channel Tunnel.
Ms Buckmire told Sky News she had been unable to afford travel insurance due to the high premiums associated with her cancer diagnosis. "We are going to try and go home and salvage the rest of the holiday season," she said, "but to be honest, I don't have the energy, I really don't. We were so looking forward to that trip."
Another family, visiting from Nigeria, faced being stranded in London without hotel accommodation after their Paris-bound service was also cancelled and turned back.
At London's St Pancras International station and the Eurotunnel site in Folkestone, Kent, lengthy queues formed as frustrated travellers sought information and alternative arrangements. Getlink, which operates the tunnel infrastructure, thanked customers for their patience as teams work to fully restore the situation.
