Eurostar Services Severely Disrupted by Two Tragic Incidents Causing Widespread Delays
Passengers travelling on the Eurostar between London and Paris faced long delays and significant cancellations on Tuesday, following two tragic incidents in northern France. Both disruptions, which involved individuals being fatally struck by trains near Lille, triggered major upheaval for thousands of travellers and led to knock-on effects across the high-speed rail network.
Eurostar spokespersons warned that the fallout from these incidents would not be resolved overnight, with lingering disruption expected into Wednesday, 25 June. The operator took to social media platform X to advise customers of ongoing delays and several cancelled services, urging those with flexible schedules to postpone or rebook their journeys. In a statement, the company extended apologies to the affected passengers and confirmed, “Services remain heavily disrupted due to two persons being struck by trains in the Lille area. We strongly advise passengers to change their bookings where possible.”
Services came to a halt shortly after 3pm local time on Tuesday after the incidents, which French media reported occurred on separate stretches of track – the first between Lille and Paris around 5pm, and the second between Lille and Arras a short time later. At one point, a train scheduled to reach Paris before 6pm was reportedly still stranded in northern France nearly four hours later, forcing passengers to wait in the tunnels well into the night.
The delays have had a domino effect on Eurostar’s operations, with several services axed entirely. Trains designated 9007, 9013, 9023, 9008, and 9018 were amongst those cancelled, leaving hundreds of people stranded on both sides of the Channel. Compounding matters, an unrelated cable theft near Lille further exacerbated delays and cancellations, creating a ‘perfect storm’ of issues for railway authorities.
Travellers hoping to depart on Wednesday also encountered significant difficulties. Eurostar acknowledged that while trains would be running, there would still be “a few cancellations” and significantly increased passenger flow, making travel conditions particularly challenging. Those due to travel on Wednesday afternoon and evening, especially on the 4.01pm, 6.01pm, and 8.01pm services, were warned to expect continued long delays or cancellations.
Social media channels became a sounding board for frustrated passengers. One customer, stuck on a train for over seven hours, queried online whether full compensation would be offered. Another weary commuter voiced frustration about spending five hours on their train, only to be left with another three-hour delay, and threatened to seek a full ticket refund along with compensation.
Naomi Sanger, a passenger left at Paris’s Gare du Nord after her scheduled 4.31pm train failed to depart, described via social media how she and other travellers found themselves cut off from crucial facilities. “There’s barely any food or water left and the air conditioning is struggling,” she explained, revealing the tough conditions faced by those stuck in the station.
This week’s chaos follows closely on the heels of previous incidents that have affected Eurostar’s cross-Channel routes, including another fatality on French railways earlier in June. On that occasion, at least a dozen trains experienced either major delays or outright cancellation, demonstrating the vulnerability of international high-speed rail services to unexpected disruption.
While Eurostar has extended its apologies and is offering rebooking and compensation options, many passengers have voiced concerns over ongoing reliability. For now, the advice remains to check the status of services before setting out and to allow extra time for international rail journeys between London and Paris. Updates continue to be issued via the company’s official social media accounts and website as staff work to restore normal schedules.