DENIS CHARLET
What began as an ordinary rail trip under the English Channel turned into pure claustrophobia nightmare fuel on Tuesday when a train came to a stop and passengers were left stranded for hours in a narrow concrete pipe under the seabed.
Alarms sounded on the Eurotunnel Le Shuttle service from Calais in northern France to Folkestone in south England at around 3:50 p.m., and the train grounded to a halt. As the cause of the incident was investigated, passengers were directed to evacuate the train’s carriages and walk down an emergency service tunnel.
Surreal videos of the incident shared on social media showed travelers carrying luggage and pets along the 24-mile tunnel. The holidaymakers had to make their way down the concrete shaft on foot for around 10 minutes to get in front of the stricken train and meet a replacement vehicle. The passengers then faced an hours-long wait for the new train to arrive.