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Eurotunnel shuts down car service Eurotunnel car trains 'saturated'
(10 minutes later)
Eurotunnel has closed its shuttle car service to new arrivals, saying its terminal is at "saturation point".Eurotunnel has closed its shuttle car service to new arrivals, saying its terminal is at "saturation point".
Passenger David Brown told the BBC he was one of more than 1,000 passengers stuck at the terminal at Folkestone. One passenger told the BBC he was among about 1,000 people stuck in Folkestone.
He said day trip passengers had been told to go home, and Eurotunnel was citing "severe technical problems". Day trip bookings are not being honoured, with Eurotunnel citing a "massive backlog" due to three days of problems on the Eurostar.
Meanwhile the Eurostar rail firm has announced it hopes to resume service on Tuesday, saying: "We will do our best to get everybody home by Christmas." Meanwhile Eurostar has announced it hopes to resume a limited service on Tuesday, saying: "We will do our best to get everybody home by Christmas."
Earlier Eurostar launched an immediate review into train breakdowns which have stranded and delayed tens of thousands of passengers since Friday. Eurostar services were suspended on Monday for a third day, as the company launched an immediate review into train breakdowns which have stranded and delayed tens of thousands of passengers since Friday.
Eurostar chief executive Richard Brown said it would be "very very busy" on Tuesday, but they would be running as many trains as possible and planned to put increasing numbers into service on Wednesday and Thursday. The full timetable details for Tuesday would be subject to further tests on modified trains on Monday afternoon, said Eurostar chief executive Richard Brown.
The company has asked passengers to avoid trying to travel over the next three days if possible. But he said the firm hoped to run two-thirds of the normal service - amounting to about 26,000 seats, with more services planned on Wednesday and Thursday.
Mr Brown predicted conditions would be "very very busy", but Eurostar would be running as many trains as it could.
The company has asked passengers who had planned to travel over the next few days to change their bookings if possible.
Their priority was to get displaced people back home, it said.Their priority was to get displaced people back home, it said.
Snow shieldsSnow shields
Eurotunnel - which carries vehicles under the Channel - said its terminal was at "saturation point". Meanwhile Eurotunnel - which carries vehicles under the Channel - said its terminal at Folkestone was at "saturation point".
Passengers in Brussels on Eurostar delaysPassengers in Brussels on Eurostar delays
It blamed passengers who had turned up on Monday, after postponing their travel plans over the weekend due to bad weather. It said many passengers had turned up on Monday, after postponing their travel plans over the weekend due to bad weather.
BBC transport correspondent Tom Symonds said the company was sending away passengers who had booked day trip tickets on its Le Shuttle car service.BBC transport correspondent Tom Symonds said the company was sending away passengers who had booked day trip tickets on its Le Shuttle car service.
Passengers without bookings were also being told not to turn up because they would not be able to buy a ticket. And passengers without bookings were being advised not to turn up because they would not be able to buy a ticket.
Eurostar trains - which serve rail passengers travelling from London St Pancras to France and Belgium - have been further modified to cope with cold weather. Following the weekend's chaos, Eurostar trains - which serve rail passengers travelling from London St Pancras to France and Belgium - have been further modified to cope with cold weather.
The trains were being tested on Monday, after services were suspended for a third day. More than 55,000 travellers have had their journeys cancelled after six trains broke down in the tunnel on Friday and Saturday.
More than 55,000 travellers have had journeys cancelled after six trains broke down in the tunnel. Eurostar said it believed it had identified the problem with its trains, and had made adjustments to try to stop water getting into the electrical systems.
Eurostar said it believed it had identified the problem, and had made adjustments to try to stop water getting into the electrical systems.
It said snow shields used to protect the electrics had worked for the 15 years it has been running services through the tunnel.It said snow shields used to protect the electrics had worked for the 15 years it has been running services through the tunnel.
Monday's tests were going "pretty well," a Eurostar spokesman told the BBC. However, the recent cold snap in France had been "unprecedented" in their experience, the company said.
The company plans to make an announcement on progress by 1800 GMT.
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