Eurostar passengers are braced for more possible disruption, after a power outage in the Channel Tunnel caused travel chaos for thousands of people on Tuesday.

As people scrambled to get to places in time for New Year’s Eve, some travellers said they spent more than six hours stuck onboard trains overnight as services were hit by more delays.

One man told the BBC he had boarded the 19:01 service to Paris, but as of 03:00 GMT he was still stuck on the train at the entrance to the tunnel.

He said staff had told him there was a “50% chance we go to Paris, 50% chance we go back to London”.

“I guess my new year plan is in the hands of the tunnel operators now,” the 27-year-old Parisian said.

Eurostar said it planned to run all of its services on Wednesday but warned there may still be some delays and cancellations.

The service from London to Paris scheduled for 06:00 GMT has been cancelled.

The problem with the overhead power supply and a broken down LeShuttle train blocked all routes on Tuesday, causing disruptions for thousands trying to get away for New Year’s Eve.

Some Eurostar and LeShuttle services had resumed on Tuesday evening, but delays remained, with only one of the tunnel’s two rail lines open.

Getlink, which runs the Channel Tunnel, said work continued through the night to fix the power issue.

On Wednesday morning, an update on Eurostar’s website said: “Services have resumed today following a power issue in the Channel Tunnel yesterday and some further issues with rail infrastructure overnight.

“We plan to run all of our services today, however due to knock-on impacts there may still be some delays and possible last-minute cancellations.

“Please check for live updates on the status of your train on the train status and timetables page.”

Dennis van der Steen, from the Netherlands, was heading home to Amsterdam to spend New Year’s Eve with his family and friends.

Instead he said he spent six hours stuck on board a Eurostar train, before it began to move again at about 03:00 GMT.

“We’re stuck,” he told the BBC.

He said there was no power onboard the train when it stopped, and that some passengers slept while others were “also very worried”. He was later told his train would continue on its journey.

Another passenger described feeling a “rollercoaster of emotions” for hours, not knowing whether the train he was on would be able to continue across the Channel or return to London.

His train eventually made it to Brussels, he said, adding: “Glad to be home, saw many families stranded.”

Images of massive crowds of travellers stranded at London St Pancras International flooded social media following Tuesday’s power outage.

A photograph shared with the BBC by a train driver for Eurostar appeared to show overhead electrical cables strewn across the tracks.

Meanwhile, cars that had hoped to use the Channel Tunnel caused traffic jams near the LeShuttle Terminal in Folkestone.

The Channel Tunnel accommodates Eurostar services as well as LeShuttle vehicle-carrying trains between the UK and France.

Tim Brown, who had been trying to return to the UK after spending Christmas in Germany, told PA News he had been stuck in his car on the LeShuttle train for more than three hours with “no access to food or water”.

At least a dozen Eurostar services between the UK, France, Belgium and the Netherlands had been cancelled by midday on Tuesday.

The rail operator apologised and said passengers could rearrange their plans free of charge or can cancel their booking and get a refund or an e-voucher.

On Tuesday, Eurostar has urged its customers “to rebook their journey for another day if possible, with free exchanges available”.

“We also advise customers not to come to our stations if their trains have been already been cancelled.”

Work is continuing through the night to fix a power issue in the Channel Tunnel after an outage shut it down and disrupted travel plans for thousands of people.

The Channel Tunnel partially reopened allowing some Eurostar and LeShuttle services – which carries vehicles and passengers through the tunnel between Folkestone and Calais – to resume with delays.

On Tuesday, a problem with the overhead power supply and a broken down LeShuttle train blocked all routes, causing travel chaos for thousands trying to get away for New Year.

Getlink, who run the Channel Tunnel, said it hopes it will to normal overnight.

Earlier, Eurostar suspended services until further notice.

By midday on Tuesday, at least a dozen Eurostar services between the UK, France, Belgium and the Netherlands had been cancelled.

The rail operator apologised and said passengers could rearrange their plans free of charge or can cancel their booking and get a refund or an e-voucher.

Passengers told the BBC how they had been left stranded and looking for alternative routes to get to their destination.

Two American tourists spent hundreds of pounds to reach Paris on Wednesday after their Eurostar service was cancelled from London St Pancras International.

Haley Adams, 38, and Hannah Hagar, 35, paid $580 (£430) for flights to the French capital to celebrate Hannah’s 36th birthday there.

The pair had their Eurostar tickets refunded but said they will have to pay for an extra night at a hotel in London and cannot get a refund from the hotel they were going to stay at in Paris tonight.

“There’s been a lot of queuing,” Adams said. “We have been here for five hours.”

A family from Mexico said their trip of a lifetime has been cast into doubt as their Eurostar service was cancelled.

Monserrat Hernandes, her brother John Paul and mother Olga were among dozens of people looking frantically at their phones near the Eurostar departure area at St Pancras.

The family got on the Eurostar just after 08:00 GMT but after their train left for Paris it had to return due to the incident.

“They say nothing is travelling today… there’s no hope for leaving tomorrow,” she said.

They are now searching for a flight or a ferry to make it to Paris.

“It’s like an American movie,” she added. “Hopefully I find the love of my life.”

In France, Ben Clark, from Bedfordshire, said he had been stuck on-board Le Shuttle in Calais with his wife and three daughters for hours.

“The first two-and-a-half hours weren’t too bad but the girls have got restless in the last half an hour so we’ve let them run around the boarding carriage to burn off some energy,” he said.

“Some people are getting angry but there’s nothing that can be done, others are sleeping in their cars. We have used up our snacks and now have no plan B or C.”

National Rail has advised passengers not to come to London St Pancras International if their Eurostar train is cancelled, while the Department for Transport said disruption is “likely for the remainder of the day” while faulty overhead cables are repaired.

A photograph shared with the BBC by a train driver for Eurostar appears to show overhead electrical cables strewn across the tracks.

Currently only one of two main tunnels in the Channel Tunnel is available for trains to run on, Eurostar said.

Eurostar’s services resumed with the 15:04 train from London to Brussels departing after 16:00.

As of 18:00, only a few services to Paris Gare du Nord and Brussels were scheduled to depart London St Pancras International this evening.

The broken down LeShuttle train was also moved out of the Channel Tunnel. The operator said none of its passengers were stranded inside the tunnel after the power failure caused its closure.

LeShuttle has apologised and warned of delays of approximately five hours, telling passengers to “please check in as planned”.

The LeShuttle service “resumed very gradually on one track” shortly before 15:00 local time (14:00 GMT), the EuroTunnel Press Office said.

“Service is operating alternately in both directions with significant delays,” it said, adding that “additional shuttles will be added in the evening and until tomorrow morning”.

Traffic has also eased on the M20 after cars hoping to cross the Channel Tunnel caused traffic jams near the LeShuttle Terminal in Folkestone.