Thousands of Eurostar passengers are facing severe delays and cancellations following the theft of 600 metres of copper cable near Lille, France, just a day after two fatalities on French rail lines caused major disruption. Services between London, Paris, and Brussels were heavily affected, with at least five London–Paris trains cancelled and seven others delayed by up to an hour on Wednesday.
Though repairs were completed and services resumed at 14:00 CET, Eurostar warns that delays may persist throughout the day. Affected passengers have been offered free ticket exchanges or full refunds, and large crowds were reported at London St Pancras station. Water was distributed on delayed trains, and staff are on-site to assist.
Passengers expressed frustration over poor communication and mounting travel costs. One family rerouted to Brussels after their Paris train was cancelled, incurring £700 in extra expenses, while others opted to wait at stations despite confusion and long queues.
Eurostar has urged travellers to postpone or cancel their trips, citing the cable theft and earlier disruptions as reasons for the ongoing issues.