Eurostar passengers endured an eight-hour ordeal without electricity or air conditioning after a technical failure halted their train from Paris to Amsterdam on June 24. The incident, attributed to exceptional heatwave conditions, left travellers stranded near Fresnoy-le-Luat in the Oise region of France.
Passengers Describe 'Hell' Onboard
The train departed Gare du Nord in Paris but stopped just after 7:30 p.m. due to a technical problem, according to Le Parisien. With no power or cooling, passengers waited either on the train or beside the tracks. One passenger described the situation as “hell,” and police, firefighters, and civil protection crews arrived to assist, handing out water to the elderly and frustrated travellers.
Social media posts captured the distress. One user wrote on X: “Eurostar, our train from Paris to Brussels is stopped on the tracks, what the hell is going on?” The company responded, stating: “A technical incident caused by exceptional heatwave conditions has occurred on board the train.”
Delayed by More Than Eight Hours
The original arrival in Brussels was scheduled for 7:47 p.m., but a rail replacement did not arrive until 12:30 a.m. the following day, allowing passengers to continue to Brussels. Others completed their journey to Amsterdam by bus or taxi. The total delay exceeded eight hours.
Eurostar Apologizes and Promises Review
Amar Chaabi, Eurostar’s chief operating officer, said: “We fully understand what our passengers experienced last night and offer them our sincerest apologies. The safety of our customers guided every decision taken throughout this incident. I would like to commend the exemplary efforts of our teams, SNCF Réseau, Infrabel, and the emergency services in assisting passengers to their destinations. We will analyze this incident in detail to learn all the lessons and continue to improve our customer service.”
