Eurostar passengers were evacuated from a London-bound train after waiting several hours for help.
Those on board claimed they were stranded without air conditioning or working toilets before emergency services and local rescuers arrived to hand out water.
The service came to a standstill due to a power failure near Calais in northern France.
Eurostar said and a rescue train had been “promptly dispatched” to carry out a “complex transfer operation”.
Serge de Gheldere wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “Almost 3h. Still no news, no air. This is not just an incident or bad luck.
“Eurostar is absolutely clueless and unprepared. There is no plan.
“Instead of opening the doors and trusting the people, they only have one or two doors open and let people almost suffocate. There’s asthma patients and infants on board.”
Another passenger claimed she has been stuck for “nearly four hours” without working bathrooms.
James Grierson told BBC News he was evacuated alongside a number of “very frustrated” passengers.
Lidia Aviles, 38, from Brussels, said they were not allowed to leave the train for hours due to security concerns regarding people standing near the rails, adding: “Toilets were not working. This is terrible, especially for babies and elderly people.”
Videos on social media show the band Stornoway cracking out guitars to sing trackside.
They left Brussels at 8.52am local time (7.52 GMT) and were due to arrive at London St Pancras International just before 10am.
After 6h on a broken-down Eurostar we cracked out the guitars to remind everybody #theOnlyWayIsUp pic.twitter.com/9Q0KmxB54W
— Stornoway (@StornowayBand) July 6, 2025
But the expected journey time of just over two hours has now stretched to more than eight.
Eurostar said to customers: “Thanks for your patience.
“We’re sending a replacement train to take you to London, which should arrive around 1.30pm.
“You’ll need to leave the train. For your own safety, please remain seated for now and wait for instructions from our onboard team.”
A Eurostar spokesman said: “Earlier today, Eurostar train 9117, travelling from Brussels to London, came to a standstill between Lille and Calais due to a power failure, leaving the train without onboard electricity.
“To provide passengers with some comfort during the delay, train doors were opened to allow fresh air to circulate, and water was distributed.
“A rescue train was promptly dispatched from Brussels to carry out a complex transfer operation.
“This process, supported by local authorities and SNCF Réseau personnel on site, is taking longer than anticipated and is still ongoing.”
They added Eurostar will offer all affected customers either a full cash refund or 300 per cent of the ticket value in the form of an e-voucher.
