Eurostar disruptions to continue through winter

Passengers who are dependant on Eurostar services will have to wait until next spring before the high-speed rail operator reinstates its full timetable of services connecting the UK and the continent.

According to Eurostar officials, repairs on the tunnel that had been damaged during last September’s fire will not be finished until the end of February. After the repairs are complete, the operator will require several weeks to introduce its new timetable, featuring London to Paris service in two hours and 15 minutes.

Disruptions that have followed the tunnel blaze have been caused by one section of the northern-bound tunnel still being shut.

The closure has meant trains having to slow down as they travel under the Channel, as speeds are reduced to approximately 60mph – which adds around 20min to the overall journey.

Both Eurostar trains and the Eurotunnel shuttle services are currently allowed to travel through the tunnel in groups of three.

As a result of this arrangement, some of the services experience additional delays, as they are kept back at the entrance until a slot has opened.

An inquiry into the cause of the fire is ongoing, carried out by Pas de Calais regional authorities.

Eurostar reports that the fire has led to the loss of at least 100,000 passengers, many in the immediate aftermath of the incident.

www.eurostar.com