Eurostar says Thursday services to be near normal

PARIS (Reuters) - Eurostar trains will be running at near full capacity on Thursday after thousands of passengers were stranded by a series of breakdowns and stoppages caused by snow, the cross-Channel rail operator said on Wednesday.

"Eurostar travellers can reach their destinations for Christmas. Eurostar announces a near-normal service for tomorrow, Thursday, December 24," the company said in a statement from Paris.

Eurostar, owned by the French and Belgian state railway firms and by Britain, has faced a storm of criticism after 2,500 people were trapped on trains inside the Channel Tunnel for up to 16 hours on Saturday.

The company said electrical power systems on the trains had been affected by condensation caused by melted snow and has ordered an inquiry.

Services between Britain and continental Europe were halted for three days, stranding thousands of passengers and provoking angry calls for an explanation from politicians including French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Services have been running at a reduced level since Tuesday as the operator has worked to clear the backlog and hundreds of people queued at St Pancras station in London on Wednesday trying to board packed trains.

Eurostar said 12 trains would leave from Paris to London on Thursday but there could be some delays as trains would be running at less than full speed on certain parts of the line.

As every year, no services will be running on Christmas Day, December 25.


Source: uk.reuters.com