22 hours ago
2
Hundreds of Eurostar passengers were evacuated from a train that was stuck in the Channel Tunnel for hours.
French media said that around 800 passengers were stuck for just under three hours before being transported to Calais.
Posting on X, Eurostar said the train had suffered a "technical issue."
It added: "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."
Gaby Koppel, a television producer on board, 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. It has become very stuffy in the carriage.”
Other passengers also spoke of uncomfortable conditions, with some describing the stationary train as "very hot."
The train finally began moving again at around 9:30am, heading to Calais, where passengers were evacuated and transferred to a replacement service.
Travelers expressed their frustration on social media, with one passenger posting: “Stuck in the Channel Tunnel on @eurostar for more than an hour. No air, no updates. Thanks for ruining our vacation.”
Another added: “We’ve been stationary in the tunnel for two hours now, and have been told that we’ll be going again in 15 minutes.”
A Eurostar spokesperson apologised, saying: “Hello, we’re sorry for the delay of your train this morning. This is due to a technical problem.
“Please keep an eye on eurostar.com or the Eurostar app for further updates. We apologise for the inconvenience caused to your travel plans today.”
The disruption affected travelers heading to and from London, as well as those on services between Belgium, France, the Netherlands, and Germany.
Passengers planning trips on Eurostar are advised to monitor updates via the company’s website or app for the latest travel information.
Express.co.uk has reached out to Eurostar for further comment.
English (US) · 