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Eurostar power loss strands 1,000 Eurostar refunds after breakdowns
(about 5 hours later)
About 1,000 passengers have been left stranded on two broken down cross-Channel trains for several hours, rail operator Eurostar has confirmed. About 1,000 Eurostar passengers are to be given refunds after being stuck on two trains for several hours because of a power cut to overhead lines.
The 1932 BST service from London St Pancras to Paris and the 1934 BST train to Brussels stopped outside Lille, north-east France, at around 2100 BST. Friday's 1932 BST service from London St Pancras to Paris and the 1934 BST to Brussels stopped outside Lille, north-east France, at around 2100 BST.
An electricity supply failure caused the breakdowns, and left only emergency lighting working on board. Alternative transport was eventually provided, though many passengers arrived five hours late.
A Eurostar spokesman said the problem would delay some Saturday services. Eurostar expects delays of about 30 minutes to Saturday morning services.
He told the BBC that about 460 passengers were being transferred to replacement buses to take them on the 60-mile journey to Brussels in Belgium. A spokesman told the BBC that about 460 passengers had been transferred to replacement buses for the 60-mile journey to Brussels in Belgium.
Another 500 or so were on the Paris-bound train expected to be towed into Lille station, where a diesel replacement train was to take them on to the French capital. The Paris-bound train with some 500 people aboard was towed into Lille station by a diesel locomotive, from where a replacement train took them on to the French capital.
Earlier this week a power cable collapsed on to a Eurostar train that had just arrived in London from Paris, causing delays to 11 services. We had to wait in complete darkness for about two hours, and then walk the full length of the train to make our way to the buses Passenger Sara Forgione
The spokesman said all would be reimbursed for their tickets and offered complimentary return trips.
By the time the rail replacement buses pulled into Brussels Midi station, at 0330 BST, a sea of weary and disgruntled passengers were met by relatives.
Matt Bagley, from Thorpe in Surrey, was among them.
Describing the moment the train stopped, he said: "The lights went off, the emergency lights came on, and we then sat there for four hours whilst they tried to rescue us."
Sara Forgione, 27, from Archway in north London, said: "There was no light; we had to wait in complete darkness for about two hours, and then we had to walk the full length of the train in complete darkness to eventually get off and make our way to the buses.
"The communication from the staff was terrible."
However, other passengers reported a jovial and upbeat mood on board. In one carriage, passengers sang "Happy Birthday" and passed around cake to celebrate the 40th birthday of a fellow traveller.
However, David Bibby, 44, who is originally from Essex but uses the service every week to commute between his Belgian home and London workplace, had one particular gripe.
"They closed the bar as soon as the train stopped, which was a rather frustrating approach I thought for a Friday night," he said.
Earlier this week, a power cable collapsed on to a Eurostar train that had just arrived in London from Paris, causing delays to 11 services.