Eurostar Passengers Stranded on Train for Seven Hours in “Inhuman” Conditions

Eurostar passengers were left stranded at the entrance of the Channel Tunnel for seven hours with no electricity, food or working restrooms.

The incident occurred at 8:16 AM GMT on Thursday when an overhead cable fell on the train.

The train left London St Pancras at 8:16 AM and headed for Amsterdam.
After around 40 minutes into the journey, it broke down at the Channel tunnel.

At 3:15 PM while it was dark outside, the lights went out on the train.

The train began making its way back to London after 4 PM.

A spokesperson for Eurostar said, “Following a complicated situation due to the position of the train and the track infrastructure, certain safety procedures had to be adhered to before the train could move.

“Further to this, the collapse of the overhead line meant that power was out on the train.

“The backup battery power on board expired after a few hours, putting the lighting, heat toilets and public address systems out of service.”

All 700 passengers on the train were confirmed safe, but they were displeased with the conditions they were left in.

“Inhumane” Conditions

Customers said they could not flush the toilets and posted photos on social media showing the blocked toilets.

One wrote: “Sorry, but this is actually inhumane @‌EurostarUK the toilets have been out of order for almost over five hours, and we’re still being told to use them by staff when they look like this?
“An actual nightmare, never again Eurostar.”

A fellow passenger also wrote, “No electricity, no heating, no updates.
“The toilets are out of order. It’s freezing, and people are getting irritated. Urgent actions required!”

Another social media user said, “We have been charged extortionate amounts to be trapped on a train with fewer facilities than a prison.”

Eurostar apologized for the experience their customers endured and are “taking immediate action” in reviewing how the incident was handled, especially “the processes and communication with infrastructure partners.”

The Eurostar attempted to rectify the situation and met all affected passengers in London with refreshments and enhanced compensation.