A woman stuck on board a Eurostar train for more than nine hours in northern France has revealed the ‘inhumane’ conditions on board that she says saw dehydrated passengers scrambling to steal water and offered a Kit Kat bar as a meal.
Paisley, 27, from the United States, had been on the London-bound train which departed Brussels at 8.52am (local time) today before it ground to a halt near the Channel Tunnel in Calais.
She had planned to end a summer trip around Europe with her mother-in-law with a night in the English capital which she had forked out $1500 (around £1100) on for reservations including an all-day spa and a Rosette award winning dinner.
But those plans have now been ‘completely ruined’ thanks to a power fault which the 27-year-old says caused people to pass out while being stranded for six hours before ambulances arrived at the scene.
‘There were babies and elderly people on board, the toilets weren’t working, there was no electricity, no food or water available,’ she said.
‘That was just the first six hours and that’s not even the whole of the madness. It was seven or eight hours that had passed when they started evacuating us off the train so we could get fresh air because there was people suffering.’
Eurostar posted to X at 12.55pm – which Paisley says was more than three hours after they first got stranded – to inform passengers that they were ‘sending a replacement train to take you to London, which should arrive around 1.30pm’ local time.
However, Paisley said no train arrived until 5pm this evening and that they did not depart until after 7pm local time – finally arriving in London just before 7.30pm BST, almost ten hours after they were scheduled to.
Paisley (above) had been on the London-bound train which departed Brussels at 8.52am today before it ground to a halt near the Channel Tunnel in Calais
Paisley said the disastrous power fault caused people to pass out while being stranded for six hours before ambulances arrived at the scene
Images from the breakdown showed dozens of stranded passengers sitting around in an area which Paisley said felt unsafe
While they were stuck on board, Paisley said toilets in carriages were overflowing.
She said: ‘People started trying to use the restroom and then it started overflowing so people couldn’t go anymore.
‘From what I heard – it wasn’t on my carriage – there was a few cars that experienced overflowing of the toilets coming down the aisles.
‘They kept telling us for hours and hours ‘a train’s coming in 10 minutes’.
‘They even posted on X that a train would come at 1.30pm. But we have literally only just left now and it’s 7.30pm. And the train didn’t even arrive until around 5pm’.
She also said Eurostar were initially charging passengers for water before they began to steal bottles because they were so dehydrated.
Paisley added: ‘In the first six or seven hours they were asking people to pay for the café items while we were stranded.
While they were stuck on board, Paisley said toilets in carriages were overflowing (Pictured: the stranded Eurostar in northern France)
An image on board shows a mother descending off the train with her baby strapped against her chest
Paisley said Eurostar were initially charging passengers for water before they began to steal it because they were so dehydrated (Pictured: Passengers stuck on board)
Eurostar posted to X at 12.55pm (local time) to inform passengers that they were ‘sending a replacement train to take you to London, which should arrive around 1.30pm’ local time – but Paisley said it did not arrive until 5pm
‘But eventually people were opening up cabinets because they were dripping. It’s not that they were trying to steal or do anything wrong, they were just extremely dehydrated.
‘We were also starving and many of us have lost thousands of dollars, whether it’s airport transfers, people are missing funerals, people were missing events.’
Paisley said it took more than six hours for emergency services to come to the assistance of the distressed passengers.
And when they did arrive, the 27-year-old said those who had been stuck on board and unable to go to the toilet, had to relieve themselves behind an aluminium foil held up by medics and staff.
She said: ‘Authorities were holding it up for people to go to the bathroom in the same place. It was really bad.
‘It’s wild because the paramedics arrived after we had been sitting for six hours in the heat with people standing outside.
Paisley said it took more than six hours for emergency services (above) to come to the assistance of the distressed passengers
The band Stornoway began playing outside for light entertainment while passengers were stuck for hours, saying on X ‘after 6h on a broken-down Eurostar we cracked out the guitars to remind everybody #theOnlyWayIsUp’
Paisley paid $374.47 for two tickets on the service (around £250) which Eurostar has now confirmed will be refunded (the above image shows that passengers were initially scheduled to arrive in London at 9.57am)
‘It wasn’t a very safe place either. I know there’s nothing they can do about the location of the train. But we were next to a ditch in the heat.
‘Hours and hours passed. It was inhumane. I’ll be honest, we’ve been treated like animals.’
By the time Eurostar sent a new train to take them to London, Paisley said she was expecting to receive some sort of meal given that she – and many others – had not eaten for hours.
However, she claims she was only offered a Kit Kat bar and that no food was brought on the new service.
After arriving in London tonight at around 7.30pm BST – Paisley told how there were stalls set up in St Pancras where even more Kit Kats were being handed out, as well as bottled water and sandwiches.
She said: ‘When the train arrived at the station I felt like I was breaking free from prison. I had never wanted to see a car more in my life than when my Uber pulled up to the station.
Paisley said she was only offered a Kit Kat bar and that no food was brought on the new service
‘This was my mother-in-law’s first time taking Eurostar trains and travelling around Europe. Now she never wants to do it again via train. It has completely ruined the experience and she has a fear of trains now.’
Paisley paid $374.47 for two tickets on the service (around £250) which Eurostar has now confirmed will be refunded.
The rail operator has apologised to its passengers after today’s incident.
A Eurostar spokesperson told Metro: ‘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.
‘Eurostar teams are doing everything possible to ensure all affected passengers reach their final destination, London St Pancras, as soon as possible.
After arriving in London tonight at around 7.30pm BST – Paisley told how there were stalls set up in St Pancras where even more Kit Kats were being handed out, as well as bottled water and sandwiches
‘We understand how difficult this experience has been and sincerely apologise for the disruption and discomfort caused. We are also extremely grateful for our passengers’ patience and cooperation throughout.
‘Eurostar will offer all affected customers a compensation package of either a full cash refund (100%) or 300% of the ticket value in the form of an e-voucher.’
A Eurostar spokeswoman told AFP the train ‘came to a standstill with no power on board’ on Sunday morning between the northern cities of Lille and Calais.
She said passengers received water and the doors were opened to allow air to circulate.
Several passengers took to social media to vent at the delay and accuse Eurostar of a lack of communication.
MailOnline has approached Eurostar for comment.
