A French newspaper will release a report tomorrow that claims that the Eurostar snow debacle in December was down to old and badly-maintained trains.
Seven days before Christmas some 2000 passengers were trapped in the Channel Tunnel for 16 hours when the trains broke down. They were given little to eat or drink in that time.
This had a knock on effect to thousands more passengers whose holidays plans were delayed by the break down.
At the time Eurostar said excessively fine powdery snow that managed to get into the trains’ engine was to blame. Eurostar suggested it was the fault of the tunnel’s operator Eurotunnel that passengers were not rescued sooner.
But the report in Le Parisian tomorrow claims that the blame lies with Eurostar, adding that improved procedures should be in place to stop snow entering the engines and calls for “winterisation” of trains, preparing them for cold weather.
By Dinah Hatch
