BRITISH Eurostar passengers were left trapped in a blazing six-hour rail nightmare and were told they could not leave the carriages which had no aircon in sweltering heat.
Travellers on the packed Paris-to-London service were stranded in Lille, northern France, after Train 9043 ground to a halt due to extreme heat.
Passengers boarded the 3.55pm departure on Wednesday expecting a routine trip home, but instead found themselves stuck deep into the evening at Lille Europe station.
Holidaymakers were stuck in the scorching carriage with faulty aircon for five hours after being told by operators they could not leave.
The chaos erupted after the train left Paris late before suddenly stopping at around 5.51pm and barely moving for hours.
Eurostar later confirmed the breakdown was caused by a technical failure linked to soaring temperatures.
One stunned Brit passenger said travellers were initially forced to stay onboard, unable even to step out onto the platform.
He said confusion quickly spread as passengers realised they had already cleared border control and were effectively trapped mid-journey.
He told The Sun: “They tried to fix it for a couple of hours.
“Then they told us they were sending a new train.
“They wouldn’t let us off to stretch our legs.
“We could see a Westfield shopping centre but we were not even allowed to leave the station because they said we had already gone through border control.
“So technically we were supposed to be in transit.
“We’re officially in Britain but stranded.
“We can’t go back. We can’t go forwards.”
He said that by evening, even the border officials had packed up and left, with passengers abandoned and left solely in the hands of Eurostar staff.
Passengers said the train was repeatedly switched on and off as engineers battled the fault, with air conditioning cutting out in the intense heat.
Eurostar said staff handed out water under its Solstice heatwave plan, but passengers claimed supplies quickly became stretched.
Travellers said they were given only bottled water and Kit Kats as “food had run out” during the long ordeal.
A replacement train was eventually arranged, but a second signalling failure south of Lille – also blamed on extreme heat – brought the rescue effort to a standstill.
Passengers were finally able to continue their journey at 10.52pm, arriving at London St Pancras almost six hours behind schedule.
Eurostar said: “A technical incident linked to high temperatures affected a train travelling from Paris to London.
“The train was held from 17:51 at Lille Europe station, where a transfer of passengers to another train (No. 9049) was organised.
“Due to a signalling issue on the rail infrastructure south of Lille, also caused by the high temperatures, the train remained stationary until 22:52 and arrived at London St Pancras with nearly six hours’ delay.
“Eurostar teams, fully mobilised on site, assisted passengers throughout their journey and provided support.
“Tickets for affected customers will be refunded in full, and a voucher worth 150 per cent of the ticket price will be offered.
“Eurostar apologises to its customers and thanks them for their patience in these exceptional circumstances.”
This week, Eurostar had to cancel a number of trains to and from the UK this week due to the hot weather.
The train operator cited “adverse weather conditions” as the reason for the cancellations.
Europe has been battered by a brutal early-summer heatwave.
Temperatures soared past 40C in much of France today with Paris among several regions on red alert.
Over the last 24 hours in Paris, at least 25 people have suffered from cardiac arrest.
Tourist attractions have been forced to shut, livestock have been dying in their hundreds and more than 8,000 schools have experienced disruptions.
The death toll across France has risen sharply as vulnerable people’s conditions are exacerbated by the exceptional heat.
Blistering temperatures past 36C across parts of the UK and France has triggered major travel chaos.
More disruption was seen elsewhere after more than 10 people were taken to hospital following heat-related illness after a serious crash on the M25 involving a van and a lorry on the same day.
The South East Coast Ambulance Service said it responded to incidents between junctions six and seven near Godstone, describing the conditions as “severe and prolonged”.
