Train Breaks Down Underwater, Strands 90,000

“France to Probe Eurostar Breakdown Technical Failure on U.K.-France Trains Stranded 90,000 Travelers Over Weekend   PARIS -- France's transport minister said the government would launch a probe into a breakdown of the Anglo-French Eurostar rail line that so far has left 90,000 people stranded during the holiday season, saying a technical shutdown of the service because of weather conditions was unacceptable. The popular service was suspended for the third day Monday, and ticket sales have been suspended through Friday, Christmas Day, as officials try to resolve the problems that brought about the service's worst shut-down ever. "We can't accept that this fundamental link (…) doesn't function because snow falls," Transport Minister Dominique Bussereau told French radio Europe 1 from Beijing, where he is on an official French government visit. Separately, Eurostar also said it has asked independent rail experts to conduct a separate investigation into the incident. Eurostar was expected to give an update later on Monday on when the trains might start running again. Meanwhile, freight and car services through the Channel Tunnel were experiencing "service disruptions" Monday and the service operator advised day-trip customers not to travel, according to a statement on its Web site. Groupe Eurotunnel SA won't honor day-trip bookings as "adverse weather is making driving conditions on both sides of the Channel difficult," it said. Five Eurostar trains stopped on their tracks Friday evening as they were inside the tunnel under the English Channel, leaving more than 2,000 people trapped in the dark and cold -- some for more than 12 hours, according to a Eurostar spokesman.”