Eurostar 'hell' sees passengers stranded for eight hours in blistering heatwave

Eurostar 'hell' sees passengers stranded for eight hours in blistering heatwave Passengers onboard a train from Paris to Amsterdam were left stuck without power or air conditioning after the ongoing heatwave caused a technical fault. Eurostar travellers have described being in 'hell' after their train from Paris to Amsterdam ended up stranded for eight hours in the middle of a blistering heatwave, The train, heading to the Dutch capital from Gare du Nord in Paris, was ground to a halt near Fresnoy-le-Luat (Oise) just after 7.30pm on Wednesday after the driver reported a technical fault caused by the sweltering temperatures. Passengers were then left stranded without power or air conditioning until the issue was resolved, forced to wait either onboard the train or alongside the tracks. The delay ended up stretching to over eight hours, with those on board taking to social media to vent their frustration. One passenger 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." One traveller described the experience as "hell", adding that police, firefighters and civil protection crews attended the scene, assisting elderly passengers and distributing water to those who needed it, the Daily Star reports. A replacement service finally arrived at 12.30am the following morning, enabling passengers to resume their journey to Brussels. The train had originally been due to arrive in the Belgian capital at 7.47pm on Wednesday. Remaining passengers continued onwards to Amsterdam by bus or taxi. 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 analyse this incident in detail to learn all the lessons and continue to improve our customer service".