Cable Theft in Northern France Disrupts Eurostar Services
The theft of cables along the railway in northern France on Wednesday caused interruptions to Eurostar services between London and Paris for the second consecutive day, as reported by both the company and the French railway operator.
According to SNCF, over 600 meters (approximately 650 yards) of cable were either stolen or damaged south of Lille Europe station, affecting travel between the two capital cities.
“The primary impact is on high-speed train operations,” they noted.
Around 15 workers, including those specializing in cable installation, were sent to address the situation; however, repairs were anticipated to take a significant portion of the day.
In Mont-de-Terre, a southern district of Lille, AFP observed workers in orange vests carefully reinstalling cables along the tracks. They meticulously reconnected numerous multicolored cables within thick protective tubes.
When contacted by AFP, local police did not immediately disclose further information regarding the cable theft incident.
The Eurostar website indicated that six services linking London and Paris—three in each direction—were canceled on Wednesday, although other trains were still expected to operate. Additionally, several journeys between London and Brussels faced delays.
Due to the cable theft near Lille Europe station, Eurostar announced that their trains would likely experience significant delays and potential last-minute cancellations. They advised travelers to cancel or postpone their plans without incurring fees.
This marked a second day of disruptions following an earlier incident where “two individuals were struck by trains near Lille Europe,” which had already affected services on Tuesday evening.
Eurostar spokesperson Juliette Clement informed AFP that trains were currently being rerouted via alternative paths, resulting in longer travel times.
Many passengers expressed their frustration on X. One user who seemed to be in Paris mentioned on Tuesday night: “My outbound journey was canceled due to ‘technical difficulties.’ My return is now also canceled because of a fatality.” They added another post on Wednesday morning saying, “My rescheduled train has been canceled again. No seats available today from Paris to London.”
SNCF reported that approximately ten high-speed train journeys between Lille and Paris had also been called off.
At Lille’s train station, 51-year-old Belgian tourist Marie-Line Ponville conveyed her disappointment. She and her daughter had intended to board a ship in Marseille for a week-long Mediterranean cruise but now faced missing their departure.
“We can’t even stay here since we packed our bags for somewhere sunny. I think we’ll just cancel and return home,” she stated.
