Eurostar trains to and from London running again after a day of cancellations
All Eurostar international high-speed trains will resume normal timetables on Sunday, a company spokesperson said. Eurostar stopped all trips between the English capital and Amsterdam, Brussels, and Paris on Saturday due to a tunnel being flooded under the Thames River.
Passengers should expect to encounter crowds at rail stations, with many people resuming their travel plans on Sunday, the spokesperson said. One train which should have departed Amsterdam for London at 8:45 a.m. according to the timetable, was moved to depart from Rotterdam instead. She could not say what the reason was for this, and said it was not clear whether this was a consequence of the problems on Saturday.
Eurostar said that the British railway company, Network Rail, has the situation under control, and made at possible to put at least one of the tunnel tubes into use. The transport company warned people on Sunday to expect delays as there are speed limits and the stations are very busy. Passengers were advised to follow the company's travel planner for up to date information.
The flooding near the Ebbsfleet International station in Kent was caused by severe weather in the United Kingdom. Fire fighters spent Saturday trying to pump out the water.
Eurostar cancelled 41 trains on Saturday because of the situation, leaving over 30,000 passengers stranded. The cancellations caused chaos at the St Pancras International railway station in London.
Some irate customers only found out the trains were not running upon arrival at the station in the morning. Others reportedly returned home to quickly pack their car in an attempt to cross by ferry, while others raced to try and book a last-minute flight.
The company said it will help affected passengers at the stations. Passengers can rebook their trip on another train from Eurostar, travel with an alternative method of transport, or get a refund for their train ticket, according to the company. Eurostar referred passengers to their website to make any changes.
Stranded passengers who were forced to spend the night in a hotel can contact customer service, according to the Eurostar spokesperson. The company will then assess on a case-by-case basis the extent to which they will be reimbursed for their hotel stay.
Reporting by ANP