May 2, 2024

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No Eurostar trains to and from London due to flooded tunnel: 'We hope to be home for the New Year' |  Instagram VTM News

No Eurostar trains to and from London due to flooded tunnel: 'We hope to be home for the New Year' | Instagram VTM News

There are no Eurostar trains between London and mainland Europe on Saturday mornings and afternoons. The reason is the flood of a tunnel near London. It is not clear how long the disruption will last. The impact is clearly significant. Thousands of people are stuck in London, and hundreds of travelers are stuck in Brussels: “The bad thing is that we are not receiving any information from Eurostar at all.”

look. Pictures show massive flooding in a tunnel near London, preventing trains from running:

A section of the railway line near the British capital has been submerged due to severe weather. Many trains from London to Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam and vice versa were cancelled, according to the Eurostar website. At the moment, there are approximately 30 trains cancelled.

Thousands of people are stranded

The year-end period is traditionally one of the busiest times of the year for Eurostar. Many travelers were affected. St Pancras station in London is in chaos with stranded passengers. Some angry customers discovered there were no trains running when they arrived at St Pancras on Saturday morning. Some reportedly returned home to pack their cars and attempt to cross by ferry. Others chose to book flights. Others were still waiting at the station for news.

Passengers stranded at St Pancras station in London. © Agence France-Presse

Chaos in Brussels too

At Brussels South train station, many people are also waiting miserable in the station hall: many Flemish people see their flight to the British capital canceled and are stranded in Brussels. “We and our family have been stranded in south Brussels since 7am,” Benny Slets said via 4040. “The annoying thing about the whole situation is that we are receiving no information at all from Eurostar.”

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Several travelers confirmed this to VTM News. “The people at Securitas were helpful, but other than that we haven't heard anything from Eurostar itself and we don't get any news on the website either,” says traveler Ben Dehaeck. The message is to wait.

Travelers stranded in southern Brussels.
Travelers stranded in southern Brussels. © Belga

Celine Vandergten received a message this morning that her train to London had been cancelled. “We have almost arrived at the station. We had the option to change the departure date or get a voucher. But it is not the right time as we have already planned things. We have changed the booking to tomorrow and are hoping to be able to leave by then.

Flemish people are stuck in London

There are also Flemish people stuck in the opposite direction in London. “We have now rebooked our train for tomorrow,” Margo Vandecandeleer tells VTM News from the British capital. Margot was supposed to stay in London with her mother and sister for three days, but they are now staying an extra night. “Hopefully we'll be home in time for New Year's.”

look. Travelers testify to the chaos coming from Brussels and London:

It is not yet known when all trains will start running again. The fire brigade is trying to pump out the water. Just before 12pm, it was announced in Brussels South that trains would not be able to run until 5pm at the earliest. But that is not certain at all. Shortly afterwards, information boards showed that train traffic had been halted “indefinitely”.

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Eurostar says it regrets the unexpected problems affecting customers. The spokesperson said: “We understand that this is a crucial time to return home, at the end of the festive season and in the lead-up to the New Year.”

Travelers stranded in southern Brussels.
Travelers stranded in southern Brussels. © Belga

What can victims do?

“It is unclear whether trains will still be able to run tonight,” explains VTM News correspondent Tessa Reins from Brussels South. “Anyway, it seems to me that this is bad news for people whose trains have already been cancelled. After all, those trains tonight and tomorrow are already packed with passengers. According to Reigns, most of those people have already left for home. But what can he do? Affected and stranded travelers There appear to be three options: rebook, request a voucher, or try to get your money back.

The code is yellow

The flooding occurred in a tunnel near Ebbsfleet International railway station in Kent. This station is located under the River Thames, about 40 kilometers from central London. The pictures show that the track is completely underwater.

The United Kingdom has been experiencing bad weather for several days. In southern England and Wales, code yellow applies to rain and wind, and in northern England and Scotland, code yellow applies to rain and snow. The British Meteorological Service warned of flooding and traffic disruption.

Picture of tunnel tube overflow.
Picture of tunnel tube overflow. © via Reuters

The severe weather is being caused by Storm Gerrit, which has been sweeping Great Britain since Wednesday. The north of England, in Scotland in particular, had a difficult time. About a hundred homes were damaged in Manchester. In Scotland, wind speeds reached 136 kilometers per hour.

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The storm has already claimed many lives. Three men were killed on Thursday after their car fell into a river in northern England. Shortly after the accident, two other cars got stuck in the river, which overflowed its banks. But its passengers were able to reach safety.

Have you been stranded in London due to canceled Eurostar trains and would you like to give evidence about this? Share your story via 4040 Leave your name, email address and phone number.

Passengers stranded at St Pancras station in London.
Passengers stranded at St Pancras station in London. © Agence France-Presse

Read also: Severe weather in Scotland: Cars stuck in snow for miles

Passengers stranded at St Pancras station in London.
Passengers stranded at St Pancras station in London. © Agence France-Presse

Travelers stranded in southern Brussels.
Travelers stranded in southern Brussels. © Belga