Brits stuck in France as Eurostar cancels all services at the last minute
Passengers have been left stranded in France and stuck in massive queues in the UK by mass cancellations of Eurostar services due to a sudden closure of rail services through the Channel Tunnel.
The rail company has cancelled all trains to and from London due to "last-minute" strike action, with services called off from noon today "until further notice", Eurostar has announced. LeShuttle Customers in Folkestone are being handed P&O Ferry tickets and told to drive to Dover to sail over the France.
Four trains have been stopped and returned to their starting point so far, with some passengers making it halfway across the Channel only to be turned around. Those with trains booked today have been urged to reschedule them.
LeShuttle customers have complained of being stuck in queues for four hours this afternoon, while London St Pancras was crammed full of passengers desperately trying to work out how to get to France.
Have you been impacted by the cancellations? Email [email protected]
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A spokesperson for Eurostar said: "Due to a last-minute strike by Eurotunnel, no Channel Tunnel crossings have happened since 12pm today. Unfortunately, Eurostar has had to cancel all trains to and from London until 3.30pm as a result. Customers affected will receive direct communication about their journey and we recommend that travellers postpone their travel today if possible. We are closely monitoring the situation as it evolves, and any further updates will be communicated as soon as possible."
It is not currently clear exactly how long the cancellations will continue for or how many services will be impacted.
The channel tunnel’s infrastructure is operated and staffed by the French railway giant Getlink. In an emailed statement to the Reuters newswire, Getlink said: “Today’s call for strike action by representatives of Eurotunnel’s French site staff unions has resulted in the complete interruption of service and the closure of our terminals in France and the UK.”
According to the firm - which manages and operates the Channel Tunnel infrastructure - staff are striking after rejecting a bonus of 1,000 euros, which they want to be trebled.
One unhappy customer feared that the cancellations would have a knock-on effect over the coming days, leaving him away from his love over the festive period. He told the Mirror: "From my perspective I think that no Eurostar trains will be able to travel from today to December 26 due to this strike. My girlfriend, who is French just like me, is going to have to stay in England for Christmas because it was the only way that she could have come back to France for the holidays. It was supposed to be our first Christmas together.
"At the moment she does not know what she will be doing, but one thing is sure. Except for a miracle, she is not going to be here for Christmas."
One man wrote on Twitter shortly before noon today: "Hey Eurostar. We are on the 11.31am to London St Pancras being held outside the tunnel French side due to strike action, this is not a nice situation with people having connections and plans disrupted. Sort it out now."
A woman added: "Currently stuck outside Tunnel in Calais on the way to UK. Train at a standstill. Announcement that a sudden strike by Channel Tunnel staff to blame. Now we are returning to Calais and possibly even Brussels. I have hotel bookings and other bookings I will lose.. I hope you're providing compensation."
Eurostar's social media account has linked to a page which shows that 13 trains between London and Paris have been cancelled up until 3.30pm today.
Those who get caught up in the cancellations can do the following:
Eurostar and airlines face disruption due to French strikes over half term
- Exchange their booking for free to travel at a different date, in the same travel class.
- Cancel their booking and claim an e-voucher. They will have 12 months from the date of your cancelled train to redeem it on eurostar.com
- Cancel their booking and get a refund. They’ll receive a refund for the value of your ticket, but not for any booking or exchange fees. Eurostar says it will process such requests within 28 days
A statement on the Le Shuttle website read at 1pm on Thursday: "Due to industrial action in France, all LeShuttle services have been temporarily suspended. We apologise for the delay to your journey. Further updates will be provided shortly."
Strong winds were also disrupting the Christmas getaway on Britain’s domestic railway, with damage to the overhead electric wires between Milton Keynes and Watford meaning all lines between those stations are currently blocked.
More to follow.
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