Passengers travelling from Brussels to London on a Eurostar train endured a four-hour delay in stifling conditions on Sunday after the train suffered an electrical failure near Calais in northern France.
The incident occurred just past the French port city in the morning, leaving the train stranded on the tracks without functioning air conditioning or toilet facilities, according to multiple passenger reports shared with the BBC.
With temperatures rising inside the stationary train and little communication from Eurostar, the situation grew increasingly tense for those on board.
“People were fanning themselves with whatever they could find. There was no air circulation and the toilets stopped working,” one passenger told the BBC. “We felt completely abandoned and had no idea when help was coming.”
Emergency responders arrived at the scene and boarded the train to distribute water to passengers, who were becoming visibly distressed. Social media posts showed passengers standing along the railway tracks with their luggage, accompanied by emergency personnel.
Photos and videos captured the extent of the disruption: crowded train corridors, passengers trying to remain cool, and growing queues at the exits as the wait dragged on. Some people, according to eyewitnesses, had young children with them and struggled to stay calm amid the uncertainty.
Eventually, the evacuation began around 15:20 local time, roughly four hours after the train initially came to a halt. Eurostar had earlier used social media to urge passengers to stay in their seats and await assistance, but many on board expressed frustration at what they described as a lack of real-time updates and support from the company.
“It was the worst travel experience I’ve ever had,” another passenger told a British broadcaster. “There was barely any information from Eurostar. We only knew what was happening through other passengers checking online.”
At the time of reporting, Eurostar has not provided an official explanation for the technical failure or the delayed response in evacuating passengers. The company has said it is investigating the incident and will be reaching out to affected passengers regarding compensation.
While no injuries were reported, the ordeal has raised concerns over the preparedness of high-speed rail operators to handle such breakdowns, especially in peak travel season.
Passengers are now calling on Eurostar to improve its communication protocols and emergency response measures. Travel disruptions have become a growing concern across European rail networks this summer, with heatwaves and technical issues putting increased pressure on infrastructure.
Eurostar is expected to issue a formal statement later this week. In the meantime, passengers are sharing their experiences online, drawing attention to the need for more robust systems to deal with mid-route breakdowns.
