LONDON — Eurostar flights to and from London were canceled on Saturday as heavy rain flooded a tunnel under the River Thames, disrupting festive travel plans.
Hundreds of travelers attempting to cross the English Channel were stranded at St Pancras International Station in London and Gare du Nord. Eurostar, which operates flights from London to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam, said it would suspend high-speed train services on Saturday due to flooding.
The UK has been hit by strong wind gusts and heavy rain brought on by Storm Gerrit over the Christmas period. More severe weather is expected over the final weekend of the year, causing travel disruption.
Chris Dillashaw, from San Antonio, Texas, was one of many whose New Year’s Eve plans were ruined by travel disruptions.
“Our whole family is here. … We celebrated Christmas in Paris and then headed to London for New Year’s Eve plans,” he told The Associated Press while waiting at Gare du Nord. Told. “I found out about what happened via email and am very sorry.”
Sydney residents Christina David, 25, and Georgina Benjamin, 26, were left with nowhere to stay after learning their train from London to Paris, the final destination on a multi-week European tour, had been cancelled. Told.
“We paid for an expensive hotel with a view of the Eiffel Tower,” Benjamin said. “Now, we have to book a hotel for the night here. We don’t know where to go. We don’t have a place to stay.”
Passengers wait on the concourse at the Eurostar entrance at St Pancras International Station in central London after high-speed services between London and Ebbsfleet were canceled due to flooding in the tunnels under the River Thames on Saturday, December 30, 2023. . Credit: AP/James Manning
Britain’s weather forecaster, the Met Office, said further strong winds and rain were expected to hit London and southern England on Saturday. Wind gusts of up to 50 mph (80 kph) are expected, with the strongest winds likely near coastal areas.