LONDON: Eurostar trains were cancelled on Saturday due to flooded tunnels in southern England, causing misery for New Year travellers in the second major disruption in 10 days.
The latest cancellations follow a wildcat strike by French unions days before Christmas and weather warnings from the UK's Met Office for rain, snow and ice across large parts of the country.
Hundreds of travellers were left stranded at London's St Pancras station after Eurostar cancelled all services until at least 4 pm.
The services were cancelled after tunnels near Ebbsfleet International Station in Kent were flooded.
Eurostar runs services from London to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam via Ashford, midway between London and the southern English coast.
Posting on X, Southeastern Railway said: "No highspeed trains are expected to run today between St Pancras and Ashford International."
In a statement, Southeastern added that the flooding meant "all lines are blocked".
International train operator Eurostar said it had to cancel all journeys between London and the European mainland on Saturday, because of bad weather that caused flooding on the line running from London through southern England to the coast,
"Flooding in the tunnels between St Pancras International Station and Ebbsfleet has not improved and train services are unable to operate," Eurostar said in a statement, adding: "This is a total of 41 trains."
Britain's grid operator Network Rail is keeping Eurostar updated regarding how the situation is evolving ahead of Sunday.
The disruption comes after French unions ended a wildcat strike that had stranded holidaymakers and held up freight just days before Christmas.
The surprise walkout by workers that blocked the tunnel sparked hours of chaos at rail hubs in Paris and London.
Eurostar train services resumed on December 22 after an agreement was reached with unions saying negotiations had yielded "results that satisfy us".
Saturday's cancelled services top off a year of travel disruption for UK travellers due to strikes, storms and other problems.
Travellers to France in April endured waiting times of up to 16 hours at Dover due to larger than expected numbers and weather conditions.
In August, flights to and from the UK were hit by a technical fault affecting air traffic control systems.
More than a year of walk-outs by rail workers over pay and conditions amid a cost of living crisis has also impacted travellers. — Agencies
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
