There is travel disruption during the New Year due to flooding, causing cancellations of Eurostar and Southeastern train services.

Tens of thousands of people have been left stranded ahead of New Year’s Eve after Eurostar cancelled all its services due to flooding in a tunnel.

The cancellation of all 41 scheduled trains on Saturday has caused chaos for travelers, who are now rushing to make alternative transportation arrangements to and from London St Pancras.

Nicole and Christopher Carrera, who recently got married, have expressed disappointment over their disrupted plan to celebrate New Year’s Eve at Disneyland Paris.

A mother has shared that her family is currently facing the challenge of avoiding homelessness with children in the cold London weather, due to the disruption of their plans caused by travel issues in Paris.

Luana Andrade, who is 36 years old, is currently in London with her 32-year-old husband Rondi Oroujo and their three-year-old son. They are accompanied by six relatives from Brazil and are in a difficult situation as they may have to book costly hotel accommodations and flights.

Ms. Andrade stated that this is not just a regular trip, but a dream trip. As our family is from Brazil, it is quite costly for us. We have been planning and saving for this trip for months, almost a year, and now it seems like we may not be able to make it happen.

The High Speed 1 line has experienced cancellations throughout the day due to flooding in the Ebbsfleet tunnel that runs under the Thames. Engineers announced at 4am that all trains would be unable to operate.

Eurostar, which operates trains from London to Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam, had anticipated resuming services later in the day. However, the situation did not improve and all train services have been cancelled for Saturday.

“We deeply apologize for the unexpected problems that have impacted our customers today. However, ensuring safety is our topmost concern,” stated a spokesperson.

“We recognize the importance of returning home at the end of the holiday season and before the new year, and we are providing assistance to customers at train stations.”

Passengers with heightened emotions were observed at the Eurostar station, including one gentleman holding an iPad displaying the words “Taxi to Paris”.

Holly Bancroft from The Independent was among the stranded individuals on the other side of the Channel. She was notified that her 7:11pm train to London was cancelled and the next available train was on Tuesday evening. Due to this, she and many others had to book flights to reach their intended destinations.

Christina David, 25, and Georgina Benyamin, 26, from Sydney, were also deeply disappointed by the cancellations. They had been exploring Europe for approximately three weeks and had planned to end their trip in Paris, where they were looking forward to celebrating New Year’s Eve.

They were scheduled to board the 7:30am train from London St Pancras International to Paris and became anxious when they were informed of its cancellation.

Ms Benyamin suggested, “We need to make a hotel reservation for the night here,” while Ms David mentioned, “We have no place to stay.”

According to HS1, the company in charge of the track, their engineers worked throughout the night to eliminate water from the area. However, the amount of water present was described as “unprecedented.”

At the location, pumps and tankers have been seen, and a video recorded inside the flooded tunnel displays water flowing onto the railroad tracks.

Although there was significant rainfall in the UK prior to the weekend, it was announced on Saturday afternoon that the flooding was a result of a malfunctioning fire control system.

Thames Water has issued a statement regarding an incident in which a pipe has caused flooding in the Eurostar tunnel. It appears that the issue is related to a fire control system and not a Thames Water pipe or asset. However, we have dispatched a technician to assist with managing the water flow.

The sole high-speed railway in Britain, connecting London and Kent, is currently not operational for Southeastern trains due to flooding in the Thames tunnels.

Domestic passengers are being urged to use slower trains to and from London Charing Cross and Cannon Street. The Southeastern line to London Victoria is closed until the New Year because of engineering work.

Passengers traveling on the Thameslink line between Bedford and Luton, connecting to Gatwick and Brighton, at London St Pancras are being advised of significant service disruptions until the morning of New Year’s Day due to a shortage of staff.

Passengers have been cautioned to anticipate significant disruption on New Year’s Eve, with no overnight service available and disruptions expected throughout the afternoon and evening.

In addition to those celebrating New Year’s in central London, both airline travelers and employees depend on the overnight trains to get to Gatwick and Luton airports. National Rail has cautioned that there may be more cancellations throughout the weekend.

Strong gusts are expected as certain areas of the UK prepare for the effects of snow and heavy rain following Storm Gerrit.

A cautionary notice for inclement weather has been issued for Scotland starting at 8am and lasting until midnight on Saturday. Expect up to 25mm of precipitation at lower altitudes. A mix of sleet and snow, transitioning to rain, could result in potential flooding and hindered transportation.

In a weather prediction video, Mr. Burkill mentioned the possibility of frost overnight into Saturday. He also mentioned a large area of low pressure in the Atlantic that will move across the UK during the weekend.

There is a chance of frost in the southern regions, especially towards the east. However, a more widespread severe frost is forecasted in certain areas of Scotland.

The temperatures may drop to as low as -8C or -9C, possibly even colder than that, according to the speaker.

Source: independent.co.uk