Eurostar Services Paralyzed After French Rail Fault; Delays, Cancellations Stretch Into Night
PARIS — Travel chaos gripped northern France on Monday as a major electrical fault on the high-speed rail line forced the cancellation of at least 17 Eurostar trains, disrupting connections between London, Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam, reported by Arab News.
The outage, which struck the line between Moussy and Longueil in the Hauts-de-France region, caused widespread delays and forced some trains to turn back mid-journey, Eurostar said. Services that remained in operation faced delays of up to two hours, while passengers were urged to postpone travel altogether.
“Due to part of the track being temporarily closed, severe disruptions including cancellations are expected all day,” the operator announced.
France’s state-owned rail infrastructure manager, SNCF Réseau, deployed teams to assess the damage and begin urgent repairs. While limited traffic resumed around 1600 GMT on a single track, SNCF warned that full restoration of service would likely extend through the night.
Trains still in service were rerouted to slower, conventional lines, adding to travel times and congestion. The disruption also affected cross-border trains, compounding the summer holiday rush.
This is the latest in a string of incidents plaguing Eurostar operations. In late June, cable theft along tracks in northern France brought services to a halt for two days. The company, majority-owned by SNCF with stakes held by Belgian railways and international investors, has also faced criticism in recent months over skyrocketing fares, particularly on the London-Paris route.
