Eurostar stops running due to unexpected strike in the Channel Tunnel

Eurostar, the high-speed train that runs under the English Channel, suspended service between Paris and London on Thursday due to “an unexpected strike” in the Channel Tunnel, leading to travel chaos ahead of Christmas.

According to Eurostar’s website, 25 trains scheduled to run between London and Paris and between London and Brussels had been canceled by Thursday afternoon. said Eurostar on social media that trains cannot pass through the Channel Tunnel until Thursday afternoon at the earliest.

“We are urging all passengers to postpone their journeys due to the closure of the Channel Tunnel and the ongoing uncertainty,” a statement said. “Again; we are deeply sorry for the impact this has had.” Four trains were held mid-journey and were due to return to their starting points, Eurostar said.

LeShuttle, the train service that transports cars and trucks through the tunnel, was also suspended a statement posted on his social media accountswho blamed it on ‘French industrial action’.

Eurostar added that it does not yet have information on whether train services will continue as planned on Friday. Only one train was scheduled to leave Paris for London at 9.10pm on Thursday. There would be two evening trains leaving from London to Paris, according to the Eurostar website.

The Eurostar takes passengers between Paris and London in approximately two hours and 15 minutes. There is also service between London, Brussels and Amsterdam, although the company said last month that it is a direct train service from Amsterdam to London suspended for six months next year.

Clement Beaune, France’s transport minister, said blocking the Channel Tunnel was “unacceptable”. “A solution must be found immediately,” he wrote on social media. “I call on everyone to take their responsibility to ensure that traffic and holiday departures can continue under good conditions.”