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More problems for Channel Tunnel
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by mchawk | September 24, 2008 at 04:03 am
642 views | 33 Recommendations | 15 comments
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A passenger train from London to Paris was halted briefly in the undersea Channel Tunnel linking England and France because of a technical problem with the train, operator Eurostar said today.
"The train that had stopped in the Channel Tunnel has now moved. It's now out of the tunnel. It had a technical problem," a Eurostar spokesman said.
The train was the 6:55 a.m. (0555 GMT) service from London. It was not immediately clear whether it would proceed as normal to Paris, the spokesman said.
"It may well stop for more investigation," he said.
No one was hurt in the stoppage.
A Eurostar spokesman said there had been a technical fault with the pantograph - the device which draws power from the overhead lines.
The train was able to travel to Calais Frethun, where it was being inspected.
The spokesman said the incident was likely to lead to delays of up to two hours to services, which have only just returned to 50% of normal levels following the fire at the French end of the tunnel on 11 September.
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mchawk
Maidenhead, United Kingdom
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (15)
at 05:00 on September 24th, 2008
mchawk, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 05:05 on September 24th, 2008
Thanks for the GS, Uwe.
at 05:58 on September 24th, 2008
Is this latest outage related to the initial explosion?
at 05:58 on September 24th, 2008
mchawk, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 06:00 on September 24th, 2008
mchawk, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 06:42 on September 24th, 2008
What basis have you for saying "With Air France nipping at Eurostar's heels, this latest incident can only further damage the company's reputation."?
The common perception is that Eurostar has a good reputation, not a damaged one. The tunnel itself is owned by the French company Eurotunnel and it was one of their trains that caused the fire.
The trains used by Eurostar are, in effect TGV stock, albeit 10 years old, so there's little reason to believe that Air France with very little experience of running trains would fare better.
at 08:00 on September 24th, 2008
The "basis" is that Air France are making a lot of noise in the press about the impending end to the monopoly on the Channel Tunnel that Eurostar currently enjoys.
As for their reputation - I spent 3 hours sitting in St. Pancras international last Thursday and there were a good number of travellers complaining to anyone who would listen, saying that next time they'd fly, rather than take the train.
One more incident is all it will take for a some British newspapers to use the phrase "litany of disasters."
at 08:09 on September 24th, 2008
mchawk, I like this story. It's good stuff. I'm a ferry persom myself but did travel into St Pancras last Wednesday - the station is wonderful!
travelling first class
missing the second class
conversation
at 10:18 on September 24th, 2008
Thanks for the Haiku! :)
at 08:42 on September 24th, 2008
They just can't win can they - they're just having a run of back luck it seems.
at 10:07 on September 24th, 2008
mchawk, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 04:36 on September 25th, 2008
mchawk, I like this story. I think writing bad news stories about the Channel Tunnel should be prohibited and people who flout the law should go to prison or have their hands chopped off! Then no one would know about these mishaps.
at 05:20 on September 25th, 2008
Lol! Fair point, Gerry. I'm only reporting them out of frustration, as I'm a huge fan of the tunnel. It's one of the few success stories of public transport that the UK has had in ages.
Thanks for the GS.
at 06:04 on September 25th, 2008
mchawk, When one stops to remember, everything we use, ride, fly, sail, etal...was made by the LOWEST BIDDER. Miles and Miles under the ocean in an Electric Train...HMMMM.
at 07:45 on September 25th, 2008
I'm glad you've pointed that out after I've got back from my trip to Paris.
Thanks for the flag.