This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/business/8511857.stm
The article has changed 16 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 5 | Version 6 |
|---|---|
| Eurostar snow delays criticised | Eurostar snow delays criticised |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| A report into the severe disruption of Eurostar services before Christmas has criticised the company's handling of the crisis. | A report into the severe disruption of Eurostar services before Christmas has criticised the company's handling of the crisis. |
| The independent report, commissioned by Eurostar, said that contingency plans for helping stranded passengers were "insufficient". | The independent report, commissioned by Eurostar, said that contingency plans for helping stranded passengers were "insufficient". |
| The breakdown of six Eurostar trains because of snow in December left 2,500 passengers stuck in the Channel Tunnel. | The breakdown of six Eurostar trains because of snow in December left 2,500 passengers stuck in the Channel Tunnel. |
| A further 100,000 passengers were stranded because of delays. | A further 100,000 passengers were stranded because of delays. |
| 'Insufficient preparations' | |
| Services were cancelled for three days after heavy snow in northern France caused the trains to lose power. | Services were cancelled for three days after heavy snow in northern France caused the trains to lose power. |
| The report said that the trains "had not undergone sufficient weather preparations" to withstand "extremely severe" weather conditions. | The report said that the trains "had not undergone sufficient weather preparations" to withstand "extremely severe" weather conditions. |
| ANALYSIS By Richard Scott, Transport correspondent | |
| The report acknowledges that the Eurostar power cars are more powerful and sophisticated than the TGVs they're based on. | |
| Because of their small size (to be compatible with UK tracks) and high power the trains have huge cooling demands. | |
| But Eurostar didn't take some basic precautions to stop snow becoming a problem. | |
| For example there was no door on a cabinet housing the electronic controls. One train had no snow screens at all on its power cars, whilst another didn't have any fitted around the motor. | |
| There's also strong criticism of Eurostar's management for not carrying out a comprehensive review when it experienced other problems in previous years. | |
| Eurostar normally carries out a "winterisation" programme on all its trains to protect them from snow, but the snow before Christmas was finer than normal, according to Eurostar, and managed to get through the grills on the side of the power car. | |
| When the train went into the tunnel where it was much warmer, the snow then melted, short-circuiting the trains' electrics. | |
| The report was critical of contingency plans in place for assisting passengers stranded by the delays, calling them "insufficient". | |
| "Provision of information to passengers in stations, through the call centre and via the website was not satisfactory," it said. | "Provision of information to passengers in stations, through the call centre and via the website was not satisfactory," it said. |
| It recommended improvements to the way Eurostar assists and communicates with passengers in the future. | |
| The report recognised, however, that the volume of disruption meant that Eurostar could not have provided alternative travel to all affected passengers. | |
| The company said it would refund the tickets of those affected and pay for out-of-pocket expenses, such as hotel accommodation and offer compensation, depending on how severely the passenger had been affected. | |
| Evacuation review | |
| The evacuation of the trains, which left passengers in the tunnel for up to five hours, were carried out "safely and efficiently" according to the report. | |
| But concerns were raised over the conditions in the train carriages, which had lost air conditioning and lighting as a result of the power failure. | |
| One of those trapped in the tunnel was Joanne Richards from Llanelli. She was travelling with her 13-year-old son, Jac, who has cerebral palsy. | |
| Their journey, which should have taken just three hours, took 17. | |
| "For a period of time I was on my own with Jac, which was very worrying," she said. | |
| "Other passengers were great - they helped a great deal - and there was a blitz spirit, but by the end of the 17 hours Jac looked... really ill and we feared for him. It was really the trip from hell," she added. | |
| Were you affected by the Eurostar disruption in December? Send us your experiences using the form below. | Were you affected by the Eurostar disruption in December? Send us your experiences using the form below. |
| The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide. Terms & Conditions | The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide. Terms & Conditions |