Eurostar trains running again after cable theft causes hours of chaos

Eurostar services between the UK and the EU were restored yesterday after a huge section of rail cable was stolen in France, causing delays to thousands of journeys.

- Lisa O'CarrollAntonia Shipley

Passengers were urged to cancel or delay their trips after the theft, which threatened to disrupt the Nato summit in the Netherlands. A team of 15 engineers scrambled to repair the high-speed line after 600 metres of cable was stolen at Lille Europe station, the key interchange for trains between London and Paris and between Paris and Brussels and Amsterdam.

Eurostar told customers yesterday morning that, owing to the theft, its trains were "likely to be subject to severe delays and last-minute cancellations." The company said passengers should request a free exchange or refund.

But by the afternoon, the company said: "Full repairs are now completed" and services had resumed.