Speaking to the BBC before the French transport minister confirmed the WW2 bomb had been defused, Lejeune says they thought it was the "better option" to cancel all 32 services between London and Paris today because it would give passengers "clarity" amid the "uncertainty".

The police successfully defused the explosive device, which weighs more than 1,000 pounds and was found near tracks north of the French capital during landscaping work.

Eurostar will resume services to and from Paris on Saturday after a World War II-era bomb found under tracks outside the French capital halted traffic at Gare du Nord station.

The cascade of transportation woes hit morning rush-hour train services before spreading to the road network, with Paris police closing the A1 highway that feeds into the north of the city, as well as sections of the capital’s always-busy ring road.

Eurostar, operator of the sleek speedy trains that usually make rail travel between the UK and the continent a breeze, announced the cancellation of all its services to and from its hub in the French capital.

The discovery of the unexploded bomb, which weighed more than 1,000 pounds, near one of France’s largest trains stations caused travel disruptions in Paris and other parts of Europe.