Eurostar Cancels All Today’s Trains After Tunnel Floods
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
Eurostar has cancelled all of Saturday’s services to and from London St Pancras due to flooding in a tunnel under the River Thames, throwing new year travel into chaos.
These are the first two paragraphs.
This morning, Eurostar said it hoped later services could run but it has now cancelled all 41 trains.
All Southeastern’s high-speed services to Ebbsfleet, which use the same line, have also been cancelled.
I know the tunnel shouldn’t flood, but Eurostar don’t seem to have an adequate emergency plan to keep things moving, when it does.
The plan would obvious depend on where and what the problem was, but if something goes wrong at the London end of High Speed One, then surely the remaining infrastructure should be used to run an emergency service.
With flooding in the tunnel between Stratford International and Ebbsfleet International, trains could only run as far as Ebbsfleet, but surely an hourly shuttle could be run between Ebbsfleet and both Brussels and Paris.
The problem would surely be getting travellers between St. Pancras and Ebbsfleet International.
- There can be no trains between Central London and Ebbsfleet International, as the tunnel is flooded and can’t be used.
- Rail replacement buses would be difficult to organise at such short notice.
- I doubt rail replacement buses could be run from St. Pancras station, as traffic is generally solid in the area of the station at all times.
The nearest station to Ebbsfleet International is Northfleet station, which has four trains per hour (tph) to and from London; two each to St. Pancras and Charing Cross.
I have walked between Ebbsfleet International and Northfleet stations, but in times of disruption, I’m sure buses operating a shuttle would be better.
The Wikipedia entry for Northfleet station, explains, why the pedestrian link has not been built, in this paragraph.
The station is very close to Ebbsfleet International station (the NNE entrance is only 334 yards (305 m) from Northfleet’s station), but passengers (using public transport) will find it far easier to access Ebbsfleet International from Gravesend or Greenhithe, as these stations are more accessible and offer easy access to Fastrack bus services. The walking route between the two stations is 0.6 miles (1 km) or 0.8 miles (1.3 km) and a suitable pedestrian link has not been built because of funding issues and objections from Land Securities.
Perhaps after the pantomime this Christmas, the connection will be improved.
So4’s Law will probably mean, that if it is built, it will only be used by travellers and those working at Ebbsfleet International station for whom it is more convenient.
The Anonymous Widower 
I would imagine using an alternative location is a border control issue but agree they should have a contingency plan.
Comment by Nicholas Lewis | December 30, 2023 |
I do find it ironic, that the flooding appears to have been caused by a safety system. And the only fire so far was in the main tunnel!
I used to know the project manager on the Channel Tunnel, that Harold Wilson cancelled and my software planned, the one we have now, High Speed One and the extension to Waterloo station.
Someone has argued with me along the way in favour of a bridge. That might help with a fire in the Chunnel, but it wouldn’t have helped with today’s problem.
I certainly think, we should start to plan another link. Perhaps one that incorporated a couple of interconnectors and links to a couple of wind farms.
At least the Chunnel has proven, that interconnectors and fixed links can work together.
Comment by AnonW | December 30, 2023 |