The Eurostar line from London to Paris experienced problems today, leaving over 800 passengers stranded on a train across the English Channel for at least two and a half hours.
The train had departed London's St Pancras station at 6:01 a.m. and was due to arrive at Paris' Gare du Nord station at 9:20 a.m. However, about an hour into the journey, the service stopped in the tunnel.
"We stopped in the tunnel about an hour after we started, around 7am UK time. There were some announcements on the loudspeaker, but they didn't tell us what the fault was," Gaby Koppel, a television producer, told The Independent. "At 9am they told us we would be leaving 'in 20 minutes', but we just stood there. Some of the lights in the carriages went out," she added.
After more than two and a half hours, the Eurostar finally started moving at 9:30 a.m. Other passengers reported that the temperature on board was becoming unbearable. Eventually, the decision was made to stop the train in Calais, in northern France, where passengers were transferred to another train.
A Eurostar statement said: "Train 9080 experienced a technical problem this morning. The train is now travelling at reduced speed to Calais, where passengers will transfer to another Eurostar for their onward journey to Paris. We apologise for the delay and thank you for your understanding."