2023-12-22 21:43:37
After the surprise strike which paralyzed the Channel Tunnel on Thursday, travelers tried to reach London this Friday on additional trains set up by Eurostar, or by coach.
Alternative means of transport
“Eurostar’s aim today and over the weekend is to enable people to get home and go on holiday for Christmas,” the company said. A total of 30 trains were canceled on Thursday, leaving thousands of travelers without a solution. Some opted for the bus or the plane.
Marcus Haywood-Alexander, 29, was due to return to Sheffield (England) on Thursday to spend the holidays with family. He was on his way to the Gare du Nord on Thursday when his train was canceled, and switched to a bus at the Paris-Bercy bus station on Friday morning.
Stranded in Dover
On Thursday followingnoon, the Channel Tunnel was closed due to a surprise strike by French staff at Eurotunnel, the company that operates it. It was able to reopen Thursday evening, the unions arguing for “result-producing” discussions with their management.
The management of Getlink, parent company of Eurotunnel, indicated in the followingnoon that the union organizations were demanding a tripling of the bonus of 1,000 euros which had been promised to them.
The Minister for Transport Clément Beaune “personally took care of the subject”, in contact with the general director of Getlink Yann Leriche and the FO union, “so that the blockage is lifted”, according to his entourage.
The great resourcefulness
Meanwhile, all trains between Paris and Brussels on one side and London on the other had been canceled at the beginning of the followingnoon, causing panic among thousands of departing travelers. The company announced that it would reimburse everyone whose train was canceled.
“We had to go to Disneyland (near Paris, Editor’s note) with the children. We’re thinking of taking the ferry from Dover to Calais, but we need a car for that. It’s just too stressful. You can’t improvise a car trip with three children, you have to prepare,” enraged Sam Boyal, a British traveler who remained stranded in London.
Travelers had even less luck at the airports: Air France indicated that at this time of year all flights to London were already full or almost full.
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