Eurostar Trains Canceled and Delayed Due to French Network Fault
Severe disruptions reported after electrical fault on high-speed line in northern France.
PARIS: At least 17 Eurostar trains connecting Paris with London and continental Europe were canceled on Monday following an electrical fault on the high-speed line in northern France, according to the train company.
Due to part of the track being temporarily closed on the French network, severe disruptions including cancelations are expected all day to and from Paris.
Eurostar strongly advises passengers to postpone their journey to a different date.
Passengers whose trains were running experienced major delays of up to two hours.
SNCF Reseau, the French track network operator, stated that teams were in place to diagnose the problem and carry out repairs.
The incident occurred on the train line between Moussy and Longueil in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France.
At least 17 Eurostar trains connecting London with Paris through the Channel Tunnel as well as Brussels and Amsterdam were canceled, while a Paris-Brussels train and another Brussels-Paris train that left Monday morning had to turn back to their stations of origin.
Trains that were running were being directed by SNCF along classic non-high speed lines.
By 1600 GMT, trains began moving again on the high-speed line but only on one track for both directions.
Disruption is expected to persist until Monday evening, with work continuing throughout the night to restore traffic to normal by the morning.
This incident adds to the issues affecting Eurostar services during the holiday season, especially as the company has faced criticism over its high prices.
Previous disruptions were caused by cable theft along train tracks in northern France at the end of June.
SNCF, which holds a majority shareholding in Eurostar, is joined by Belgian railways, Quebec investment fund CDPQ, and US fund manager Federated Hermes as minority stakeholders.
Due to part of the track being temporarily closed on the French network, severe disruptions including cancelations are expected all day to and from Paris.
Eurostar strongly advises passengers to postpone their journey to a different date.
Passengers whose trains were running experienced major delays of up to two hours.
SNCF Reseau, the French track network operator, stated that teams were in place to diagnose the problem and carry out repairs.
The incident occurred on the train line between Moussy and Longueil in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France.
At least 17 Eurostar trains connecting London with Paris through the Channel Tunnel as well as Brussels and Amsterdam were canceled, while a Paris-Brussels train and another Brussels-Paris train that left Monday morning had to turn back to their stations of origin.
Trains that were running were being directed by SNCF along classic non-high speed lines.
By 1600 GMT, trains began moving again on the high-speed line but only on one track for both directions.
Disruption is expected to persist until Monday evening, with work continuing throughout the night to restore traffic to normal by the morning.
This incident adds to the issues affecting Eurostar services during the holiday season, especially as the company has faced criticism over its high prices.
Previous disruptions were caused by cable theft along train tracks in northern France at the end of June.
SNCF, which holds a majority shareholding in Eurostar, is joined by Belgian railways, Quebec investment fund CDPQ, and US fund manager Federated Hermes as minority stakeholders.
