France/UK - Eurostar

High-speed train is six hours late

Article published on the 2009-09-26 Latest update 2009-09-26 13:15 TU

A Eurostar train emerges from the Eurotunnel in 2006
(Photo: AFP)

A high-speed Eurostar train went low-speed on Friday evening - leaving London at 7.30pm and rolling in to Paris's Gare du Nord at 10.47pm, six hours late.

The train was delayed by an electrical fault in the north of France and another Eurostar suffered a serious delay. Fifteen French TGV trains and Eurostars going to London, Brussels, Paris and Lille were also affected.

TGV stands for tain à grande vitesse (high speed train) and the technology is a matter of great French pride, bringing in contracts to develop rail networks abroad. The Eurostar usually travels at greater speed in France than in the UK.

But the usually efficient system let itself down on Friday, causing red faces at the national rail network, the SNCF.

Officials say that traffic was back to normal on Saturday morning.