Eurostar train evacuated during nine-hour delay in northern France
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Passengers wait beside a stranded Eurostar train near Calais as rescue workers hand out bottled water during a nine-hour delay.
Eurostar Train Evacuated After Nine-Hour Delay in Northern France
Power failure leaves passengers stranded for hours without air conditioning or working toilets before rescue train arrives
A broken-down Eurostar train was evacuated in northern France on Monday after a power failure left passengers stranded in sweltering conditions for more than nine hours.
The train, which departed Brussels at 08:52 local time and was due to arrive in London by 09:57 BST, came to a standstill between Lille and Calais due to a loss of electricity. Passengers endured over four hours without air conditioning, working toilets, or clear updates before emergency responders arrived to hand out bottled water and begin evacuations.
By late afternoon, a replacement train arrived to collect the stranded travelers from the tracks just outside of Calais. The rescue operation, which Eurostar described as “complex,” involved carefully transferring hundreds of passengers from one train to another.
Passenger Ordeal
Passengers described extremely uncomfortable conditions. Lidia Aviles, 38, from Brussels, said: “Toilets were not working. This is terrible, especially for babies and elderly people.” Others reported heat exhaustion and at least one person was seen being carried away on a stretcher.
With no ventilation, Eurostar opened train doors to allow air circulation while urging passengers to remain on board for safety. Several travelers voiced frustrations on social media over the lack of updates and prolonged wait in the heat.
UK folk band Stornoway, who were among the passengers, tried to lift spirits by staging an impromptu trackside performance, later joking that all they had received was “a KitKat” and no clear timeline for departure.
The replacement train began moving at 19:30 local time, and finally arrived at London St Pancras just before 20:20 CET — more than 11 hours after the original departure.
Compensation and Apology
Eurostar has offered all affected passengers a full cash refund or a voucher worth three times the value of their original ticket.
“The situation was extremely difficult for our travellers, and once again we extend our sincere apologies for the inconvenience caused,” Eurostar said in a statement, adding that the incident is under full internal investigation.
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