St Pancras delays: Eurostar and Southeastern passengers stranded for FOUR hours as trespasser, lightening and flashfloods spark travel chaos

Travel chaos: People queue as they wait for information at St Pancras

Eurostar passengers and rail commuters faced several hours of delays after a trespasser, flash floods and lightning sparked chaos at major transport hubs.

A trespasser on high speed tracks close to Ebbsfleet International saw Eurostar services unable to leave St Pancras and those approaching the station held for more almost four hours.

British Transport Police said the man was initially spotted on tracks at Northfleet before running into a tunnel at Ebbsfleet sparking mass delays and cancellations just after 5pm.

He was detained at 9.30pm after a "lengthy search", a spokesman added.

Eurostar apologised for the delays and offered customers ticket exchanges and refunds.

Furious commuters vented their frustration with one person tweeting: “It would have been quicker for me to drive to London from Dover to collect my husband from St Pancras. People have been stranded for HOURS now.”

Another added: “Got to St Pancras, all trains delayed or cancelled, then our regular train is announced on time. Get on train, leave on time, get somewhere in Essex and the train stops. Much time passes. Announcement of trespasser on tracks, more time passes, train goes back to London.”

Southeastern passengers were told to avoid the central London station altogether as trains were “heavily disrupted” and because of overcrowding.

Parts of the network through Kent, particularly Gillingham, were under water after torrential downpours on Tuesday afternoon sparking further disruption.

Meanwhile, lightning strikes on signalling equipment between Blackheath and Charlton sparked further disruption on the Southeastern network in south London.

Water on the railway tracks at Gillingham
Network Rail

There were delays on all of the following lines:

  • Bexleyheath and Woolwich
  • Sidcup
  • Hayes 
  • Grove Park
  • Bromley South and Sole Street
  • Maidstone East 
  • Paddock Wood and Hastings
  • Medway Valley
  • Sheerness 
  • High Speed 

Passengers were advised to use London Underground between terminals and Arriva Fast Track buses between Ebbsfleet and Gravesend.

Flooding on the line near Gillingham, Kent
Network Rail

Cars were submerged and railway lines blocked as flash flooding hit swathes of Kent during a huge thunderstorm today.

The south-east of England was hit by spectacular lightning and torrential downpours throughout Tuesday afternoon.

Flash floods hit parts of Kent as thunderstorms battered London and the south east
Honest Liars Clothing/Twitter

Gravesend, Meopham, Strood and Doddington were particularly badly hit with images showing cars submerged and rainwater as high as the windows of some homes.

Storms and flash floods hit London and the south east

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Meanwhile in Sittingbourne drivers said "every road is like a river" as traffic was brought to a standstill by the severe conditions.

Meanwhile, drivers on the M2 faced long delays after heavy rain left the carriageway flooded.

A heatwave across the UK has been blighted by thunderstorms over the last four days with more expected throughout the remainder of Tuesday and into Wednesday morning.

Forecasters have warned that spray and flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and road closures, while flooding or lightning strikes could cause power cuts in some areas.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Environment Agency has issued 35 flood alerts, warning residents across great swathes of England to "be prepared" for possible flooding.

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