Eurostar trains running again between London and mainland Europe
Thousands of travelers had previously been less fortunate, stranded in the London train station shortly before New Year's Eve on Saturday, some of whom did not know where to spend the night. The reason was the flooding of the railroad tunnels south of London as a result of heavy rainfall. As a result, all Eurostar journeys on Saturday had to be canceled.
This "ruined" the plans of newlyweds Nicole and Christopher Carrera from New York to celebrate New Year's Eve at Disneyland near Paris. "We won't be in Paris until around 6pm tomorrow evening," said 29-year-old Carrera at London's St. Pancras station on Saturday. They would then be walking through the French capital instead of Disneyland.
For another couple, Christina David and Georgina Benyamin from Sydney, Paris was to be their last stop in Europe before heading home. She was "disappointed, angry, sad", said David. Many people were crying.
The operating company Eurostar had announced on Saturday evening that train services would resume on Sunday. Previously, 41 trains had been canceled on Saturday due to a water leak in the tunnels between London's St. Pancras and Ebbsfleet Eurostar stations - on a day with extremely high passenger volumes due to the New Year celebrations. In the end, the company declared that "at least one tunnel" could be used and a "full service" could be offered. However, there were speed restrictions and therefore possible delays.
Long queues formed at London's St Pancras station on Sunday morning. Trains were shown to be on time, but loudspeakers warned of delays.
Around 30,000 passengers were stranded on Saturday in London, Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam, the cities connected to London by the Eurostar. The operating company expressly regretted the impact on travelers so close to New Year's Eve. Eurostar is "extremely sorry" for this. The affected travelers should find out about compensation options.
The Met Office had warned of rain, snow and ice in large parts of the country.
It was the second disruption to train services to London under the English Channel in ten days. Following the end of an unannounced strike by French employees of tunnel operator Getlink shortly before Christmas, train services only resumed on Friday a week ago. Eurostar had to cancel 30 trains because of the strike.
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- Despite the disruptions, Nicole and Christopher Carrera from New York were still hoping to visit London before heading to Disneyland in southern England.
- On Sunday, happy travelers from New York, London, and other parts of Europe rolled their luggage towards Eurostar trains at St. Pancras station.
- The flooding in southern England had caused a significant impact on Eurostar services, affecting travel plans for many Europeans, including those from London and Paris.
- The flooding in London on Saturday had also caused disruptions to other forms of transport, including the Southern English trains.
- Despite the delays, many passengers were relieved that Eurostar services were resuming, allowing them to finally make their way to their destinations in Europe.
- Georgina Benyamin from Sydney was grateful for the resumed services, as she and her partner Christina David had planned to spend New Year's Eve in London before heading back home.
- Nicole, Christopher, Georgina, and Christina were among the thousands of passengers who had been stranded due to the Eurostar cancellations, but on Sunday, they were finally on their way to their desired destinations.
- Eurostar services between London and mainland Europe, including Paris and Brussels, were operating again, albeit with speed restrictions, causing some delays.
- The flooding in southern England had resulted in tears from many passengers who had to change their travel plans or miss out on their New Year's celebrations, such as at Disneyland in Paris.
- The stranded passengers had been hopeful for a New Year's celebration in Europe, but due to the flooding, many of their plans had to be altered or canceled.
- As a result of the flooding, several Eurostar trains between London and Paris had to be diverted, causing further inconvenience for passengers heading towards Disneyland in southern England.
Source: www.stern.de
