New year plans ‘ruined’ as Eurostar services blocked by flooded tunnel

Eurostar services from London have been cancelled “until the end of the day” as heavy rain and strong winds threaten to spoil people’s new year plans.

No high-speed services are expected to run between Ebbsfleet International and London St Pancras International today because a tunnel under the Thames is flooded.

The flooding is also disrupting Southeastern Railway trains which run on the route, the operator said.

Eurostar, which runs services from London to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam, apologised to customers for the impact to their travel plans.

Disappointed passengers at St Pancras International (James Manning/ PA). PA Media

Posting on X, Southeastern Railway said: “No Highspeed trains are expected to run today between St Pancras and Ashford International.

“We are working to fix the flooding in the tunnels.”

Speed restrictions will be put in place on the West Highland Lines from 10am today until 9am tomorrow due to the forecast, Network Rail Scotland said.

Strong wind gusts are also on the way as parts of the UK brace for snowy weather and travel disruption during the last weekend of the year.

A yellow weather warning for ice across the north and north west of Scotland is set to run to 10am on Saturday.

A similar warning for rain and snow has been issued for much of Scotland on Saturday.

The warning is in place from 8am until midnight on Saturday, with up to 25mm of rain forecast at lower levels.

A period of sleet and snow, turning to rain, may lead to some flooding and travel disruption.

The Met Office has also issued a yellow warning for rain across parts of Northern Ireland, running through to Saturday at 11am, with 15 to 25mm of rain falling in a few hours.

Some heavy rain is also likely across the west of Northern Ireland on Saturday morning before wet and windy conditions push east and north eastwards.

A spell of strong and gusty winds is also set to hit London and the south east, the east and south west England along with parts of Wales on Saturday where there is a yellow warning for wind that runs through to New Year’s Eve on Sunday at 3am.

There could be “gusts of 45-50 mph widely” but the strongest winds are “likely near coasts in the west and south, with 65-75 mph in places”, the warning states.