Eurostar services disrupted by fatalities, copper cable theft
By Frank Prenesti
Date: Wednesday 25 Jun 2025
(Sharecast News) - Eurostar rail services have been severely disrupted on Wednesday after two separate fatalities on the track in France followed by the theft of copper cables near Lille.
Eurostar on Wednesday told customers that, due to the theft, 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".
The high-speed operator cancelled services and delayed others on routes serving London, Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam. Two people died in separate incidents on the LGV Nord high-speed line between Lille and Paris on Tuesday, which closed the line for most of the day.
Eurostar said the ensuing disruption from the deaths was already continuing into Wednesday when services were further delayed after cable was stolen on the same railway line near Lille. French media reported 600 metres of the key material was stolen.
The three incidents forced Eurostar to run services on alternative routes, extending journey times with further problems caused by trains and staff members being out of position.
It added that one track had reopened, allowing some trains to run in both directions until full repairs are completed, expected to be around 1600 BST.
Meanwhile in the Netherlands, authorities were also investigating disruption after a power outage on around 30 rail cables affected trains from Schiphol airport, around 50km away from the Nato leaders' summit in The Hague.
Netherlands justice minister David van Weel, said the damage could have been an attempt to sabotage the two-day meeting. "The question is who is behind it. It can be an activist group, it can be a country," he said.
Reporting by Frank Prenesti for Sharecast.com
Email this article to a friend
or share it with one of these popular networks:
You are here: news
10 Lower Thames St,
London EC3R 6EN