London: As many as 2,000 Eurostar passengers were affected and many left stranded after train services between Britain and France had to be suspended due to “migrant activity” on tracks close to the French city of Calais. Eurotunnel, which manages and operates the Channel Tunnel between the two countries, said the tracks used by high-speed Eurostar trains and national network freight trains had been “blocked by groups of migrants”.
Eurostar said the delays had affected up to 2,000 passengers due to the surge of migrants. A spokesperson said they were getting on to the railway tracks after security was increased at the Channel Tunnel. Some passengers stranded on a train mid-way between Paris and London reported migrants on roofs and knocking on windows as they waited for hours in the dark.
A spokesperson for Eurostar said passengers hoping to travel later this morning should expect a normal service but added that two trains have been cancelled “in order to ensure the service is as robust as possible”. The latest disruption comes despite the erection last month of miles of new four-metre high, steel security barriers and razor-wire, accompanied by high-profile British government pledges to secure the route.
