‘Surprise’ strike closes Channel Tunnel and stops Eurostar services

An unexpected strike by workers on the Channel Tunnel is causing chaos this Thursday (December 21), with the tunnel completely closed to traffic.

No trains have passed through the tunnel since midday, with traffic from both the UK and French sides being affected.

This includes both Eurostar passenger services, as well as those using the Shuttle service to bring their car through the tunnel.

Workers from Getlink (the company that controls the Channel Tunnel) are on strike, however they did not announce their intention to walk out before doing so

Four trains which had already departed were ordered to turn back around to their point of departure after leaving the station, due to being unable to traverse the tunnel.

These are services 9126, 9018, 9023, and 9125.

On their website Eurostar is advising all passengers travelling today to postpone their journey.

It is currently unclear when the tunnel will reopen and normal service can resume.

The official Eurostar social media page on X (formerly Twitter) posted that services would be affected “up until at least mid-afternoon,” although it now seems likely delays will last significantly longer.

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