Eurostar trains were cancelled on Saturday on account of tunnel flooding in the south of England.
Hundreds of travellers were stranded at London’s St Pancras station after Eurostar cancelled all services until at least 4pm.
Eurostar runs from London to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam via Ashford, halfway between London and the southern English coast.
Southeastern Railway said: “No highspeed trains are expected to run today between St Pancras and Ashford International.”
Services were cancelled after tunnels near Ebbsfleet International Station in Kent flooded.
The disruption came after French unions called off a strike that left holidaymakers stranded and freight services delayed just days before Christmas. The unexpected walkout by workers blocking the tunnel caused hours of chaos at railway hubs in Paris and London.
Over a year of strikes by rail workers on pay and conditions amid a cost-of-living crisis have also affected travellers. While the RMT rail union said last month that its members had voted in favour of a pay deal, Aslef, the union representing train drivers, has yet to reach an agreement.
Today’s cancellations bring to a close a year in which British travellers have faced disruption to train services due to strikes, weather and other problems.
