Passengers are suffering fresh disruption in the Christmas getaway after severe weather left rail lines blocked around Britain, while a strike by French Eurotunnel workers has halted Eurostar trains and cross-Channel shuttle services.
Strong winds from Storm Pia, including gusts of up to 80mph in northern Britain, have blown down trees on tracks around the country.
Damaged power lines on the main west coast route out of London meant most intercity trains from London Euston were severely delayed or cancelled on Thursday afternoon.
Several blockages were reported on lines in the West Midlands, while fallen trees affected services from Northern, Southeastern and South Western Railway.
Speed restrictions had already been put in place on Thursday morning by Network Rail for much of Scotland and northern England after the Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for wind, indicating probable disruption. TransPennine Express had urged passengers not to travel in and out of Edinburgh, and LNER services north to Inverness were suspended.
A man was taken to hospital after a tree fell on to his car on the A515 in Clifton, Derbyshire, closing the road.
Aside from weather disruption, industrial action also hit the getaway – although not from British rail unions this Christmas. A sudden strike called by French unions in Calais, which started shortly before midday, closed the Channel tunnel to trains. Workers were apparently striking after Getlink, the owner of Eurotunnel, awarded them a €1,000 (£870) bonus, which unions argued should have been three times higher.
The strike eventually left all of Eurostar’s trains cancelled on Thursday, with four trains having had to stop and turn back.
A Eurostar spokesperson said: “Due to a last-minute strike by Eurotunnel staff, no Channel tunnel crossings have taken place since 12pm.
“Unfortunately, Eurostar has had to cancel all trains to and from London until further notice. Customers affected will receive direct communication about their journey and can exchange their tickets free of charge or claim a refund.”
LeShuttle, the Getlink-operated service that transports motor vehicles across the Channel, is also suspended.
A spokesperson for Getlink said customers were being offered the option of going to the ferries or travelling on Friday, adding: “For the moment all services are suspended because we cannot run the railway safely without staff.”
The spokesperson said the sudden strike was the first ever of its nature at Getlink, and was happening at a peak period: “Today and tomorrow are the biggest days this winter.”
The M20 coast-bound carriageway between junctions 8 and 9 has also been temporarily closed due to suspended Eurotunnel services, Kent police said.
The “emergency measure” will allow freights bound for the continent to queue on the empty section of motorway to try to minimise disruption to Kent’s wider road network.
Most travellers will still hope to escape the effects of the severe weather and French strikes, with the Christmas getaway expected to peak on Friday, according to motoring organisations and airport forecasts.
National Highways said it would remove more than 1,000 miles of roadworks on England’s motorways for the Christmas period.
Network Rail said there would be fewer engineering works than usual on the railways but passengers on some routes would need to plan their journeys to avoid disruption.
London Paddington rail station will be closed between Christmas Eve and 27 December, and King’s Cross station will also be closed on Christmas Eve.
No trains will operate on Christmas Day, and there is a very limited service running on Boxing Day.
