Eurostar has cancelled all cross-channel trains until further notice. More than 24,000 people travelling between London and Paris or London and Brussels have been affected so far and that total is expected to hit around 55,000 by the end of the Christmas holiday period.

Eurostar shut down the service after five trains broke down on Friday night. The subzero temperatures in northern France have been blamed for the breakdowns; the electrical systems failed when the trains moved from subzero temperatures outside into the tunnels where it was considerably warmer.
 

Eurostar director Richard Brown says that although two or three trains managed to get through the tunnel on Saturday, at least one train exhibited the same problem that halted the trains on Friday night. The company is investigating how to prevent similar problems in the future. A French MP, who was among the thousands left stranded by the tunnel closure, says he will call for the European Commission to investigate what went wrong.

Around 500 people suffering from health problems were taken to Dover by train so they could take the boat to France.