Eurostar services are set to resume again today after ‘unprecedented’ flooding cancelled all services.
Thousands of people were left stranded and their New Year’s Eve plans were ‘ruined’ after a train tunnel flooded under the River Thames in London on Saturday.
A burst pipe forced all services to and from St Pancras International to be cancelled.
The flooding had been brought under control by the end of Saturday, meaning ‘at least one tunnel can now be used’, but speed restrictions and uncertainty around using the second tunnel means further delays are possible.
Delays and cancellations are also expected on some domestic routes on Sunday thanks to staff shortages and bad weather.
In a statement, Eurostar said: ‘Flooding in the Thames tunnels has been brought under control by Network Rail High Speed, meaning at least one tunnel can now be used and a full service can operate.
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‘There will be some speed restrictions in place in the morning which may lead to delays and stations are expected to be very busy.
‘Unfortunately, this unprecedented event has caused major disruption to customers today.
‘Customers are encouraged to visit the Eurostar website for more information on their journey and compensation entitlement.’
A spokesperson for HS1, which runs the route between London and the Channel Tunnel, said: ‘Flooding in the Thames Tunnel is being resolved by Network Rail High Speed and the HS1 line will be operational in the morning.
‘We understand how frustrating this has been for passengers and apologise for the inconvenience caused at such an important time of the year.’
The company has not revealed what initially caused the leak.
The problem began on Friday night when water filled tunnels near Ebbsfleet International in Kent, scuppering all high speed services.
The issue is believed to have been caused by a burst pipe feeding the tunnel’s fire safety system. Footage shot in the tunnel showed water gushing from a pipe and submerging the tracks.
Thames Water said it believed the flood was caused by a ‘fire control system and not a Thames Water pipe’.
Some railway tunnels, including the Channel Tunnel, have water systems installed as a fire safety measure.
The flooding also disrupted Southeastern Railway trains, which will run a reduced service between Ashford and St Pancras International.
Separately, there was major disruption to Thameslink services through London and across the south east due to ‘a shortage of train crew’ which will continue into Sunday, the operator said.
The Met Office has warned there could be disruption to domestic journeys this weekend, as windy conditions sweep across the UK.
A warning for rain and snow has been issued for much of Scotland.
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