Eurostar Chaos this morning as more than 800 passengers were stuck on a trapped in Channel Tunnel for over two hours. Passengers were eventually evacuated to Calais in France to wait for a replacement train.
The nightmare started as the train had departed London St Pancras at 6:01 am this morning and was due to arrive at Paris Gare du Nord at 9.20 Parisian time. But around an hour into the journey, the Eurostar service broke down in the channel.
Eurostar chaos
Gaby Koppel, a television producer told The Independent: ‘We stopped in the tunnel about an hour into the journey, so roughly 7am UK time.
‘There were occasional loudspeaker announcements saying they did not know what the fault was.
There is no rest bite for travellers as motorways have too been clogged up too as the annual travel chaos takes over the country.
One of the passengers remarked, “Where is the planning? this happens every year and each year its chaos, missed trains, delays and missed flights, but nothing seems to improve?”
Passengers trapped in Channel Tunnel
Passengers trapped in Channel Tunnel fro more than two hours as the Eurostar chaos ensued leaving passengers scared and frustrated. Eventually there was an update, ‘they said at 9am that we would get going ‘in 20 minutes’ but we are still here.
‘Some of the lighting in the carriage has been switched down, but it has become very stuffy in the carriage.’
More than two-and-a-half hours later later, the train eventually began moving at 9.30am.
Other passengers spoke of the stationary train becoming ‘very hot.’
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Eventually evacuated to Calais
Passengers were eventually evacuated to Calais in Western France to wait for a replacement train but the drama has not finished.
Disgruntled train riders though, have reportedly waited almost four hours for their replacement.
Latest updates – Eurostar stuck in tunnel
A Eurostar statement read: ‘Service update: Train 9080 had a technical issue this morning.
‘This train is now running at reduced speed to Calais where passengers will be transferred to another Eurostar train to continue their journey to Paris. Thank you for your understanding and our apologies for the delay.
During the Eurostar chaos, customers were offered hot drinks and water.
‘The safety and wellbeing of our customers is always our priority. We’re really sorry for the inconvenience and delay to their journey today.
‘As a result of the incident this morning, Eurostar services to and from Paris are experiencing delays of up to an hour.’
The disruption this morning occurred on one of the busiest travelling days of the year, but certainly not the busiest. Leaving passengers frustrated and annoyed, questioning why the transport system crumbles at the first sign of stress. If they can’t handle the capacity, then they shouldn’t book it, because a Eurostar chaos story happens every Christmas.