LONDON ,Eurostar services between London and continental Europe faced cancellations on Saturday due to the flooding of a tunnel under the River Thames. Heavy rain, part of the ongoing impact of Storm Gerrit, led to the closure of the tunnel, causing travel chaos for hundreds of passengers.
Stranded travelers at London’s St. Pancras International station and the Gare du Nord station in Paris had their festive travel plans disrupted as Eurostar announced the suspension of all high-speed train services for the day. Eurostar operates services connecting London to Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam.
The United Kingdom has experienced adverse weather conditions, characterized by strong winds and heavy rain from Storm Gerrit during the holiday season. The disruption is expected to continue into the last weekend of the year.
Chris Dillashaw, a traveler from San Antonio, Texas, expressed disappointment, saying, “Our entire family is here… We were celebrating Christmas in Paris and then headed to London for our New Year’s Eve plans.”
Christina David, 25, and Georgina Benyamin, 26, from Sydney, faced accommodation challenges after their London to Paris train was canceled. Benyamin lamented, “We paid for an expensive hotel with an Eiffel Tower view. Now we have to book a hotel to stay for the night here. We don’t know where to go; we have nowhere to stay.”
The Met Office, the UK’s weather forecaster, warned of more high winds and rain hitting London and southern England on Saturday, with gusts of up to 50 miles per hour (80 kph) expected, particularly near coastal areas.
