Eurostar issued a warning on Tuesday that the Channel Tunnel's catenary power supply system had failed, causing widespread delays for passenger trains. The disruption coincided with the New Year travel rush, bringing one of Europe's busiest cross-border rail lines to a complete halt.
On December 30, 2025, a large number of passengers were stranded waiting with their luggage at St. Pancras Station in London. Eurostar train services between the UK and continental Europe have been suspended due to power outages. Eurostar officials recommended passengers to postpone their itineraries for 30 days, citing "extensive operational disruptions." This failure has caused serious train delays and a large number of cancellations.
Eurostar urgently called on passengers to adjust their travel plans that day, as the Channel Tunnel was forced to close due to a power failure in the tunnel's contact network.
Eurostar issued a statement on its official website and warned of "large-scale disruption of operations," saying:"Affected by the catenary power supply failure and the subsequent Eurotunnel shuttle train failure, the Channel Tunnel is currently closed. In desperation, we have to suspend all train services today until further notice."
The statement also reminds:"Passengers are asked not to go to the station. We sincerely apologize for the impact this incident has had on your travel plans."
The disruption brought Europe's busiest cross-border rail link to a near standstill during the New Year travel rush.
Photos from the scene showed that dozens of passengers were waiting around their luggage at St. Pancras Station in London; at the entrance to the Eurotunnel in Folkestone, Kent, England, there was a long queue of traffic as passengers waited to enter the tunnel.
The Eurotunnel Shuttle Company (LeShuttle), which specializes in vehicle shuttle transport for the Channel Tunnel, issued a statement saying that due to the power failure, its vehicle transport services between Folkestone, UK and Calais, FranceTemporary outage for up to 3 hours, the company apologizes for the inconvenience caused.
It should be noted that the Eurotunnel Shuttle (LeShuttle) is mainly engaged in tunnel transportation of vehicles and passengers, while Eurostar only operates passenger services, with destinations covering cities such as Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam.
On December 30, 2025, passengers stood beside the Eurostar train at Gare du Nord in Paris, France, waiting for news. Eurostar officially announced that day that a power failure occurred in the undersea tunnel connecting Britain and France, and train services were completely suspended.
Getlink Group, the operator of the Channel Tunnel infrastructure, has not yet responded to a request for comment from the US Consumer News and Business Channel (CNBC).
Eurostar operates dedicated passenger lines from London to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam. Passenger volume reached 19.5 million in 2024, setting a record in the company's operating history.