Near London - Flooded tunnels: Eurostar cancels more than a dozen trains
Train connections between the European continent and the British capital were canceled on Saturday due to flooded rail tunnels near London. As can be seen on the Eurostar operator's website, more than a dozen connections from Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam to London and in the opposite direction were canceled in the morning.
Eurostar passengers stranded in London
Regional train operator Southeastern Railway announced that there would be no trains on the high-speed route, which is used by Eurostar trains passing through the Eurotunnel under the English Channel, until the end of the day. Rail travelers were asked to look for alternative connections. British media reported on frustrated travelers at St. Pancras station in London, whose plans for New Year's Eve were in danger of falling through.
At lunchtime, Eurostar announced that 15 more services had been canceled and apologized for the difficulties. "Eurostar is extremely sorry for the unforeseen problems affecting our customers and services. We understand that this is a very important time to get home after the festive period and before the New Year," the statement continued.
According to Southeastern Railway, the flooded section of track is two tunnels that run under the River Thames at Ebbsfleet station in Kent. Both have been closed due to flooding. This is the second time in ten days that Eurostar trains have been affected by severe disruption, after Eurotunnel workers went on strike just before Christmas.
See in the gallery: Full reservoirs, soaked dykes and sandbag barriers: Some regions of Germany are still battling the floods. In many countries, however, the situation is slowly easing. However, the risk of heavy rainfall is increasing again.
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- The flooded tunnels near London have disrupted train services between Great Britain and several European cities, including Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam.
- Despite the flooded tunnels under the English Channel, travelers were advised to seek alternative connections to reach their destinations, as Eurostar trains were canceled until the end of the day.
- The source of the flooding was identified as two tunnels under the River Thames at Ebbsfleet station in Kent, which have been closed due to the floods.
- The Top news headlines in London included reports of frustrated Eurostar passengers stranded in London due to the cancellations, which added to the disruptions caused by the floods in other parts of Europe.
- Meanwhile, in Paris, headlines focused on the ongoing efforts to control floodwaters in some regions of France, as heavy rainfall posed a new threat to the recovery from previous flooding incidents.
Source: www.stern.de
