A bomb alert at a station in northern France delayed Eurostar trains to and from London’s St Pancras International today, leaving passengers facing long queues through the station.
The incident took place at Calais-Fréthun station today (12 November), affecting trains to and from St Pancras. Eurostar confirmed that three services were delayed “due to a request for police assistance at Calais-Fréthun station”.
The affected trains included the 9.01am from St Pancras to Brussels and the 9.10am and 10.10am from Paris Gare du Nord to St Pancras. The 12.31pm and 1.31pm services from St Pancras to Paris were also delayed.
Passengers at St Pancras described lengthy queues, with lines stretching through the building and wrapping around the Eurostar departures area. Many were stood queueing up to the departures lounge with luggage.
The Pas-de-Calais prefecture announced the bomb alert on social media at 8.40am and confirmed the situation had been resolved less than two hours later.
Key facts
- What: A bomb alert at Calais-Fréthun station in northern France
- When: Announced at 8.40am today (12 November); resolved in less than two hours
- Impact: Three Eurostar services delayed, plus the 12.31pm and 1.31pm St Pancras to Paris trains
- At St Pancras: Long queues through the station and around the departures area
- Status: The alert has been resolved; Eurostar has been contacted for comment
A wave of hoaxes across Europe
The disruption follows a recent series of bomb threats and hoaxes across Europe, which have led to flight delays and school closures.
Last week, Heathrow and Birmingham airports received threats that were later deemed not credible. Broadcasters including Sky and Ireland’s RTÉ also received a bomb threat on Friday.
It is not clear if the incidents are linked.
What passengers should do
Anyone travelling on Eurostar today should check the latest service information before heading to the station and allow extra time for their journey. Queues at St Pancras are likely to take some time to clear even after services resume.
Eurostar has been contacted for comment.
Eurostar services from St Pancras
St Pancras International is Eurostar’s London terminus, with services to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam. The operator is also launching direct trains from St Pancras to Antwerp from 14 December.
Eurostar services from the station have faced disruption before, including industrial action earlier this month — although today’s delays were caused by the alert in France, not by any issue at St Pancras itself.
