Oh Paris

Eurostar is taking heat from an independent body which has accused the cross-channel train operator of failing to prepare for tough winter conditions last year, leading to five trains breaking down under the Channel Tunnel in late December 2009 and leaving around 2,000 passengers stuck without information, food or water. Thousands of travelers waiting to board in London, Paris and Brussels were also left stranded.

The independent commission, whose conclusions were first reported earlier this week in French daily paper Le Parisien, slammed Eurostar for what it said was poor maintenance– the electrical systems on one train failed due to a lack of snow screens, for example– and said the company failed to properly attend to the passengers plunged in darkness under the Channel Tunnel.

Eurostar did not immediately respond to a request from About.com Paris Travel to comment on the report’s conclusions.

According to an article which appeared in Le Parisien last month, Eurostar has agreed to pay some €11 million in compensation to passengers who were affected by the late December stalls. Around 55,000 people’s travel plans were disturbed by the incidents.

Have you been affected by recent Eurostar breakdowns or delays? Please share your experience by leaving a comment below.

Image: Travelers stranded at the London Eurostar station in late December 2009 play cards to pass the time. Oli Scarff /Getty Images News

Independent Probe Chastises Eurostar on December Breakdowns originally appeared on About.com Paris Travel on Friday, February 12th, 2010 at 06:49:25.

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