New Year’s Eve plans are in jeopardy for many in western Europe after widespread train cancellations due to flooding of a major rail tunnel that runs under the River Thames.
Eurostar, the region’s high-speed rail line linking Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, was forced to cancel all 41 trains scheduled for Saturday in and out of London, leaving hundreds stranded at St. Pancras London.
Travelers from the US and Australia and beyond fill the St. London’s Pancras and Paris’ Gare du Nord station as they scrambled to find last-minute accommodation and alternative plans.
All Southeastern Railway high-speed services using the same line were also cancelled, according to the BBC.
Hundreds of people packed a train station in London after widespread cancellations due to tunnel flooding. AP Holiday travel plans of hundreds of people were canceled Saturday after Eurostar canceled train services to and from London. AFP via Getty Images
Engineers working in the tunnel said the water level had receded as of Saturday but called the amount of water “unprecedented.”
Eurostar said it was “deeply sorry for the unexpected issue.”
The travel chaos marks the second major travel disruption for Eurostar in the past 10 days — a last-minute strike by French workers halted trains just before Christmas, causing holiday travel chaos then too.
Engineers called the flood levels in the tunnel under the Thames “unprecedented.” AP
The UK was also hit by strong winds and heavy rain from Storm Gerrit over the holidays and stormy weather and travel disruption is expected over the last weekend of the year as well.
By Postal Wire
Categories: Trending
Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
