Eurostar Heatwave Halt
Extreme heat causes Eurostar Paris-Amsterdam service to halt, stranding passengers for eight hours.
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Key Points
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Air conditioning was intermittent or not functioning in parts of the Eurostar during the standstill, worsening the heat exposure for passengers.
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The stop occurred near Fresnoy-le-Luat in the Oise region just after 7:30 pm, with a rail replacement arriving around 12:30 am the next day; some passengers then continued to Brussels by rail while others proceeded to Amsterdam by bus or taxi.
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Temperatures during the heatwave were record-breaking across France and the Low Countries, with meteorological services reporting temperatures well above seasonal norms.
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Transport regulators and infrastructure managers say modern high-speed trains are not designed to operate indefinitely while stationary in extreme heat because onboard cooling relies on power and airflow, highlighting rail-system vulnerability during heatwaves.
A Eurostar train traveling from Paris to Amsterdam ground to a halt near Fresnoy-le-Luat in northern France on June 24, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded for eight hours without power or air conditioning during a record-breaking heatwave, according to The Mirror. Temperatures in Paris had hit 40°C (104°F) the day before, and the stalled train quickly became, in the words of passengers, a "hell" on rails.
Emergency services — police, firefighters, and civil protection crews — arrived around 9:00 PM to hand out water and help elderly passengers cope with the heat, The Examiner Live reported. A relief train finally reached the stranded service at 12:30 AM, more than five hours after the train first stopped. Some passengers then traveled onward to Brussels by rail; others reached Amsterdam by bus or taxi.
How a Technical Fault Turned Into an Eight-Hour Ordeal
The Eurostar service left Paris Gare du Nord at 7:15 PM, scheduled to reach Brussels by 7:47 PM. It stopped abruptly near Fresnoy-le-Luat in the Oise region at around 7:30 PM, according to Wales Online. Eurostar blamed a "technical incident" triggered by extreme heat. Within minutes, electricity cut out. Air conditioning failed. Carriages became stifling.
Passengers documented the ordeal in real time on social media. Many reported that train staff did not visit coaches during the first five hours to give updates, according to Head Topics. The relief train arrived at 12:30 AM on June 25. Passengers who made it to Brussels arrived between 1:00 AM and 3:30 AM — roughly six hours late.
Eurostar's Apology and What the Company Is Offering Passengers
Eurostar Chief Operating Officer Amar Chaabi issued a formal apology. "We fully understand what our passengers experienced last night," he said, adding that "the safety of our customers guided every decision taken throughout this incident." The company praised its staff and emergency services for their response.
Eurostar is offering all affected passengers a full refund or a 12-month e-voucher. The company says refunds will be processed within 28 days, according to The Traveler. Eurostar had already cancelled six services between June 23 and June 25 as a precaution due to "expected adverse weather" — a sign the company knew the heat posed serious risks before the breakdown happened.
Why Extreme Heat Cripples High-Speed Trains
Modern high-speed trains like the Eurostar are built to stay cool while moving fast. At speed, air flows through cooling systems and keeps everything running. But when a train stops in 40°C heat with no power, that system collapses. There is no backup cooling. Passengers bake inside sealed carriages, according to The Mirror.
French rail manager SNCF Réseau and Belgian counterpart Infrabel both flagged the problem. Steel rails can buckle in extreme heat. Copper overhead wires can sag and snap. Infrabel ordered reduced speeds for all high-speed trains from June 25 onward, adding 15 to 30 minutes to journey times, according to Head Topics. Critics say rail infrastructure built for a cooler century is struggling with today's temperatures.
Europe's Heatwave Puts Rail Networks Under Growing Pressure
The Fresnoy-le-Luat breakdown was not an isolated event. France recorded its hottest June day ever on June 23, with Paris hitting 40°C, according to The Traveler. Similar breakdowns struck high-speed rail lines in 2022 and 2019, each time exposing the same weakness: trains that cannot cope when they stop moving in severe heat.
Experts and passengers are now calling for rail operators to install independent cooling systems — ones that work even when a train loses its main power source. Without them, as Europe's summers grow hotter, stranded trains and suffering passengers may become a recurring story rather than a rare one, according to Wales Online.
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