EUROSTAR has suspended train services in Europe today, sparking travel chaos for passengers over very busy New Year period.
Passengers were left scrambling to find alternatives after the operator postponed all services between London, Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels, because of a power supply issue in the Channel Tunnel.
If you have been caught up in today’s Channel Tunnel chaos may well be out of pocket for ruined breaks but they do have some protections.
Eurostar passengers can change to a different train for free, travelling in the same class.
They can also request an e-voucher for the unused ticket or request a full refund.
They are also due compensation if they arrive at their destination more than an hour late.
You can claim up to three months after your train was delayed or cancelled and the amount you will receive depends if you opt for an e-voucher or cash refund as well as the length of the delay.
Typically, your compensation will be between 25 per cent and 75 per cent of the cost of the journey leg impacted.
If you are delayed overnight, you have the right to be put up in a hotel or reimbursed for the cost of one.
For car owners using Le Shuttle, compensation is not so generous.
All passengers on non-refundable tickets should be expected to be put on the next available crossing but there is no cash compensation, only a discount voucher for future travel if you are delayed more than an hour.
This is where having travel insurance comes in. Check your policy for travel disruption and delay clauses as it may allow you to claim for alternative travel – like a ferry – if Le Shuttle cannot get you to your destination on time.
With most decent travel insurance policies, whether you are travelling via the Eurostar or Le Shuttle, you should also be able to claim an amount against anything you have booked in advance and are no longer able to use, like hotel stays, attraction tickets or activities.
Earlier today, a message was posted on the Eurostar website that read: “Due to a problem with the overhead power supply and a subsequent failed Le Shuttle train the Channel tunnel is currently closed.
“Unfortunately, this means we have no choice but to suspend all services today until further notice.
“Please do not come to the station. We’re very sorry for the impact the situation may have on your travel plans.”
Eurostar’s site showed that even its services on the Continent not using the Channel tunnel — such as ones between Paris and Brussels — were also cancelled.
Crowds of stranded travellers, many with suitcases, swelled at London’s St Pancras station and at Gare du Nord in Paris as the notification went out that their end-of-year holiday plans were being thrown into doubt.
The Channel tunnel’s operator Getlink said train traffic would progressively resume Tuesday afternoon, but passengers were still left not knowing when, or if, they would travel.
A record-high 19.5 million passengers travelled on Eurostar last year, up nearly five percent on 2023, driven by demand from visitors to the Olympics and Paralympics in Paris.
Eurostar has held a monopoly on passenger services through the tunnel linking Britain and France since it opened in 1994.
But British entrepreneur Richard Branson — the man behind the Virgin airline — has vowed to launch a rival service.
Italy’s Trenitalia has also said it intends to compete with Eurostar on the Paris-London route by 2029.
