High-speed train travel resumes in northern France after Eurostars canceled

PARIS (AFP) : High-speed train travel resumed in northern France on Tuesday after an electrical fault forced the cancelation of Eurostar services and severe delays on others.

Seventeen Eurostar trains connecting Paris with London and continental Europe were canceled on Monday after the fault on an overhead cable on the line in northern France, Eurostar said.

The company has canceled three Paris-London services on Tuesday, according to its schedule. There were still delays on other trains but not as severe as the disruptions endured by passengers on Monday.

“The repair work was completed according to schedule, and this morning we are resuming normal traffic on the high-speed line,” a spokesperson for French operator SNCF said.

Trains that did run on Monday were diverted onto slower routes.

It remains unclear what caused the incident on the line between Moussy and Longueil in northern France.

The incident was the latest to affect Eurostar during the holiday season at a time when the company has faced criticism over its high prices, especially on the Paris-London route.

The theft of cables on train tracks in northern France caused two days of problems in June.

SNCF has a majority shareholding in Eurostar, with Belgian railways, Quebec investment fund CDPQ and US fund manager Federated Hermes holding minority stakes.