Closing post
Time to wrap up….
Passengers booked on Eurostar train services were urged to cancel or delay their trips after a huge theft of cable in France, which threatened to disrupt the Nato summit in the Netherlands.
Engineers scrambled to repair the high-speed line after 600m of cable was stolen or cut at Lille Europe station, the key interchange for trains between London and Paris and between Paris and Brussels and Amsterdam.
On Wednesday Eurostar told customers that, due to the theft, its trains were
“likely to be subject to severe delays and last-minute cancellations. Our stations are very busy, and we advise you to cancel or postpone your trip.”
Police have launched an investigation, with forensic teams on the scene outside Lille that has disrupted dozens of high-speed services.
Passengers affected told us the disruption had been a ‘nightmare’.
Elsewhere today:
Eurostar services have resumed after a morning of chaos following the theft of cable near Lille in northern France, the Evening Standard reports.
But while trains appear to be running better than this morning, passengers could still face delays.
Eurostar has said:
“Due to a cable theft on the high-speed line (LGV Nord) near Lille this morning, Eurostar services between London and Brussels/Paris have been experiencing disruption since the beginning of the day, leading to extended journey times.
“Full repairs are now completed and traffic resumed as normal at 1pmBST/2pmCET. Some delays can still be expected until the end of the day.
“Customers have been contacted directly with updates and available options, and Eurostar is advising those due to travel today to postpone their journey with free exchanges and refunds available.
