Editing Channel Tunnel (section)

=== Train failures ===
On the night of 19/20 February 1996, about 1,000 passengers became trapped in the Channel Tunnel when [[Eurostar]] [[British Rail Class 373|trains]] from London broke down owing to failures of electronic circuits caused by snow and ice being deposited and then melting on the circuit boards.<ref name="1996-snow">{{cite news | url = https://www.independent.co.uk/news/wrong-kind-of-snow-in-tunnel-1320248.html | title = Wrong kind of snow in tunnel... | last = Wolmar | first = Christian | date = 22 February 1996 | work = The Independent | location = UK | access-date = 21 December 2009 | archive-date = 19 January 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120119013846/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/wrong-kind-of-snow-in-tunnel-1320248.html | url-status = dead }}</ref>

On 3 August 2007, an electrical failure lasting six hours caused passengers to be trapped in the tunnel on a shuttle.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/6929713.stm | title = Delays after Channel Tunnel fault |work=BBC News   | date = 3 August 2007 | access-date =14 January 2010 }}</ref>

On the evening of 18 December 2009, during the [[December 2009 European snowfall]], five London-bound [[Eurostar]] trains failed inside the tunnel, trapping 2,000 passengers for approximately 16 hours, during the coldest temperatures in eight years.<ref name="sky-colder">{{cite news | url = http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Eurostar-Says-All-Scheduled-Services-Tomorrow-Have-Been-Cancelled/Article/200912315504284 | title = Severe Weather Brings Eurostar to a Halt | date = 19 December 2009 | access-date =19 December 2009|publisher=Sky News }}</ref> A Eurotunnel spokesperson explained that snow had evaded the train's winterisation shields,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/transport/article6963830.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110612232005/http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/transport/article6963830.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=12 June 2011|title=Eurostar blames 'fluffy' snow for weekend chaos|date=21 December 2009 |work=The Times|access-date=21 December 2009 | location=London | first1=Steve | last1=Bird | first2=Robert | last2=Lindsay}}</ref> and the transition from cold air outside to the tunnel's warm atmosphere had melted the snow, resulting in electrical failures.<ref name="cnn-cold">{{cite news | url = http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/12/19/channel.tunnel/ | title = Eurostar services cancelled as snow brings havoc | first = Melissa | last = Gray|publisher=CNN| date = 19 December 2009 | access-date =19 December 2009 }}</ref><ref name="indy-cold">{{cite news | url = https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/thousands-stranded-in-eurostar-chaos-1845914.html | title = Thousands stranded in Eurostar chaos |work=The Independent |first1=David |last1=Randall |first2=Nina |last2=Lakhani | date = 20 December 2009 | access-date =20 December 2009 | location=London}}</ref><ref name="bbc-relive">{{cite news | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8422305.stm | title = Passengers trapped on Eurostar trains relive ordeal|work=BBC News | date = 20 December 2009 | access-date =20 December 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url = http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Eurostar-Trains-Trapped-In-Channel-Tunnel-As-Snow-And-Ice-Brings-Services-To-A-Halt/Article/200912315504284 | title = 'Nightmare' Over For Stranded Passengers | date = 18 December 2009 | access-date =19 December 2009 | first = Rob | last = Cole|publisher=Sky News }}</ref> One train was turned back before reaching the tunnel; two trains were hauled out of the tunnel by [[Eurotunnel Class 0001]] diesel locomotives. The blocking of the tunnel led to the implementation of [[Operation Stack]], the transformation of the [[M20 motorway]] into a linear car park.<ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5hRM5rF7ThMd2awfWzOXBFJ7AmuXg | publisher = The Press Association | date = 19 December 2009 | title = Passengers home after trapped in Channel Tunnel | access-date = 19 December 2009 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091222231117/http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5hRM5rF7ThMd2awfWzOXBFJ7AmuXg | archive-date = 22 December 2009 }}</ref>

The occasion was the first time that a Eurostar train was evacuated inside the tunnel; the failing of four at once was described as "unprecedented".<ref name="amsterdam-cold">{{cite news | url = http://www.amsterdamnews.net/story/579422 | title = Chaos in Eurotunnel as several trains break down | work = Amsterdam News.Net | date = 19 December 2009 | access-date = 19 December 2009 | quote = "Four Eurostars broken down at one time&nbsp;– it's absolutely unprecedented", John Keefe of Eurotunnel ... "There's never actually been an evacuation of a Eurostar train in the fifteen years that the tunnel has been opened and last night we evacuated two whole trains to get people off", | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110723013209/http://www.amsterdamnews.net/story/579422 | archive-date = 23 July 2011 }}</ref> The Channel Tunnel reopened the following morning.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.eurotunnel.com/NR/rdonlyres/E69E8275-E4E9-4B65-AC6A-D5A8E9931DD7/0/091219Eurotunnel_rescues_Eurostar.pdf | title = Eurotunnel rescues Eurostar | work = Eurotunnel Press Release | date = 19 December 2009 | access-date = 23 December 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100113051244/http://eurotunnel.com/NR/rdonlyres/E69E8275-E4E9-4B65-AC6A-D5A8E9931DD7/0/091219Eurotunnel_rescues_Eurostar.pdf | archive-date = 13 January 2010 | url-status = dead }}</ref> [[Nirj Deva]], [[Member of the European Parliament]] for South East England, had called for Eurostar chief executive Richard Brown to resign over the incidents.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8422978.stm | title = Eurostar transports 500 vulnerable passengers to France |work=BBC News   | date = 20 December 2009 | access-date =14 January 2010 }}</ref> An independent report by [[Christopher Garnett]] (former CEO of [[Great North Eastern Railway]]) and Claude Gressier (a French transport expert) on the 18/19 December 2009 incidents was issued in February 2010, making 21 recommendations.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/eurostar-rapped-in-tunnel-breakdowns-report-1897410.html |title=Eurostar rapped over Channel Tunnel breakdown |work=The Independent |location=UK |date=12 February 2010 |access-date=27 April 2010 | first=Peter | last=Woodman}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eurostarindependentreview.org/pdf/Eurostar%20Independent%20Review.pdf|title=Eurostar Independent Review|date=12 February 2010|format=PDF report|first1=Christopher|last1=Garnett|first2=M. Claude|last2=Gressier|access-date=27 January 2010|publisher=Eurostar|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100216140918/http://www.eurostarindependentreview.org/pdf/Eurostar%20Independent%20Review.pdf|archive-date=16 February 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On 7 January 2010, a Brussels–London Eurostar broke down in the tunnel. The train had 236 passengers on board and was towed to Ashford; other trains that had not yet reached the tunnel were turned back.<ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/eurostar-disrupted-after-new-breakdown-in-channel-tunnel-1861132.html | title = Eurostar disrupted after new breakdown in Channel tunnel | work = The Independent | date = 7 January 2009 | access-date = 7 January 2009 | location = London | archive-date = 11 January 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100111050653/http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/eurostar-disrupted-after-new-breakdown-in-channel-tunnel-1861132.html | url-status = dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url = http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6061L020100107 | archive-url = https://archive.today/20120717231458/http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6061L020100107 | url-status = dead | archive-date = 17 July 2012 | title = Stricken Eurostar train towed out of Channel Tunnel | work=Reuters| date = 7 January 2010 | access-date =14 January 2010 }}</ref>