Eurotunnel passengers had to be evacuated from the train after it broke down down below the English Channel.
They were transferred to a freight train, but they complained of get stuck in underwater tunnel for almost five hours referring to problems with replacement transport.
Initial breakdown late on Tuesday affected the Eurotunnel Le Shuttle route at 15:50 from Calais to Folkestone and resulted in hundreds of Passengers are escorted to the service tunnel.
Video on social media showed vacationers walking through an alternative tunnel along the 31-mile rail route between the UK and France, some with suitcases and dogs.
Meanwhile travelers in Calais was told to stay away from the terminal until 6am. on Wednesday, with photographs showing traffic jams at the shuttle terminal late Tuesday evening.
representative for Eurotunnel Le Shuttle said: “The train broke down down in tunnel and we in process of transfer of clients to a separate passenger shuttle via service tunnel to return to our terminal at Folkestone.
“We sincerely apologize for it’s an inconvenience.”
representative added: “Due to an earlier train malfunction, we advise you not to go to the terminal tonight.
“Please arrive tomorrow after 6 am.
Eurotunnel website in Folkestone, Kent (Gareth Fuller/PA)
(PA Archive)
Michael Harrison of Cranbrook, Kent one of those on evacuated train, the PA said news agency: “We got on crossing at 15:50, approximately 10 minutes in the light turned off out and the train stopped.
“We were told they needed to investigate issue with wheels.
“It took about one and half hours for explore them and obviously find nothing.
“They drop things and set off for five more minutes.
“It is happened again at this time we were waiting for a couple more of hours decide what they couldn’t see problem but had to evacuate the train to another train.
“After further waiting, we left train through the emergency communication tunnel to the service tunnel.
“Then we walked about 10 minutes to the train. in front of wrecked train.
“It was the bus car that took us to Folkestone.
“Then this train stopped because it couldn’t gain traction, presumably because it was long and had no weight. on It.
“There were sighs of disbelief when it was announced.
“At last we’ve arrived in Folkestone six hours after landing.
Another passenger who was evacuated, but want to be named, told the PA that “several people went crazy out about being down in service tunnel, it’s a bit of strange place”.
He added: “We’re stuck down there for at least five hours.
“If I have a claim, it’s that they knew several hundred people arrived in Folkestone who did not eat for five, six or more hours and there was absolutely nothing for us here.
“Just huge queues for Burger King.”
Journalist Bruce Atkinson caught up in delays in Calais, tweeted: “I’m sitting in boarding school queue in Calais with no idea how we will wait a long time. Been here 4 hours already.”
Jonel Schwartz added on Twitter: “We got caught in trap for over four hours. If we had been given any information earlier, we would never have fallen into the trap. in in first place”.
Keith Scott, 43, from Surrey. who traveled with her husband and two children from family holiday in France, the PA said: “We are finally on road now after almost eight hours from Calais to Folkestone when should be 35 min.
” heat sensor alarm went off off so they had to do full inspection of the train, then we drove again and after five or ten minutes we stopped again and they did the same again.
“Three or four hours after leaving Calais, they said, “Listen, we’re not going anywhere, we need to evacuate,” so they us on to another train. It was hot, it wasn’t air con, they gave out water, but we are not very know what’s happening on.
“They said us get out of our cars and get to the front of the train where we were waiting for almost an hour with No information generally in boiling hot. The people got a little excited.
“Eventually they opened the doors and we had to walk down train, down service tunnel where we were kept for 40 more minutes for evacuation train.
Sarah Fellowes, 37, from Birmingham, will get 18 years. hours return home from family holiday in France after the “total massacre” of evacuation.
She told PA: “The service tunnel was terrible.
“It was like catastrophe movie.
“You were just go into the abyss, not knowing what’s going on. We all had to stay underwater in this is big queue.
“Firemen and rescuers were there.
“The woman was crying in tunnel, another woman in a panic attack who rode alone.
“They were expecting a really senior people to walk for mile down middle of tunnel under water.
“It was a real massacre when we arrived in Folkestone as they really didn’t prepare for us arrival.
“It just was not organized of how evacuate this train.
“I was in a panic one dot and border guard said us the tunnel was evacuated one Another time in in last 17 years old, not so long ago.”
