Power problems and a stuck train interrupted rail traffic flowing through the undersea tunnel connecting the UK to continental Europe with passenger train operator Eurostar indefinitely suspending its services during the busy holiday period.

Passengers were left scrambling on Tuesday to find alternatives after the operator postponed all train travel between London, Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels.

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“There was a power supply problem in the Channel Tunnel followed by a shuttle train coming to a halt inside,” a Eurostar spokesperson said. “All journeys to and from London are suspended until further notice.”

The Channel Tunnel’s operator, Eurotunnel, said in a separate statement that the power supply problem started in part of the tunnel, affecting both passenger and vehicle travel by rail in both directions.

Traffic is expected to resume gradually on Tuesday afternoon. “A technical intervention is required, which is currently underway. Our teams are working to restore the situation as quickly as possible.”

In a ⁠statement on its website at 15:30 GMT, Eurostar warned passengers that the power fault was persisting.

‘Disgusted, disheartened’

Crowds of stranded travellers, many with suitcases, swelled at London’s St Pancras station and at Gare du Nord in Paris as the notification went out – their end-of-year holiday plans were being thrown into chaos.

At Gare du Nord station, Jamie and Issy Gill scrambled to find a flight back to the UK after their Eurostar train to London was cancelled, desperate to be reunited with their baby boy after a getaway in the French capital.

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“We came for my 30th birthday,” Issy Gill said, wiping away tears.

Other frustrated passengers tried to book plane or bus tickets.

“I’m disgusted, disheartened,” said Sarah Omouri, a French traveller whose plans to celebrate the New Year in London were dashed.

“It’s been maybe a year since we’ve had a vacation. We were made to get on the train, to get off, get on again, and get off again. Now we’re told that everything is fully booked for several days. It’s ruined.”

The 50km (32-mile) Channel Tunnel, more than half of it undersea, revolutionised UK-Europe rail travel since its inauguration in 1994.

A record-high 19.5 million passengers travelled on Eurostar last year, up nearly 5 percent from 2023, driven by demand from visitors to the Olympics and Paralympics in Paris.

Tuesday’s disruption was the latest to affect Eurostar at a time when the company has faced criticism over its high prices, especially on the Paris-London route.

An electrical fault forced the cancellation of Eurostar services and severe delays in August. The theft of cables on train tracks in northern France caused two days of problems in June.