January 5th, 2010 | 
Author: The Eurotunnel and Eurostar services have returned to normal after the Christmas disruptions, allowing regular travel to France to resume for French holiday makers.
Before Christmas, hundreds of people seeking to return from the continent were left stranded as the Eurostar service suffered disruptions after trains broke down in the Channel Tunnel thanks to bad weather. The rush of festive British holiday makers and French residents seeking to return home meant that many people switched to the Eurotunnel service, placing a sudden increase of pressure on the alternative tunnel service.
On Tuesday the 29th of December nearly 400 vehicles suffered delays at technical problems temporarily shut down the Eurotunnel service. In order to prevent further disruptions, passengers were warned via on automated service that only advance bookings would be acceptable and those directly affected were offered ferry tickets as an alternative.
After the new year however, things have returned to normal and holidaymakers, tourists and French nationals are now able to travel between the UK and the continent with familiar ease. Though the Eurostar may be delayed if heavy snowfall and extreme temperatures occur again Eurotunnel is confident that it can provide a reliable service and will suffer no further problems.
Speaking to BBC news, a company spokesman for Eurotunnel said that the weather would not affect any of its services – and was not a factor in the previous disruptions. He said “The technical problems are not related to the weather and are being looked at by engineers who hope to resolve things as soon as possible”.
For those already on holiday in France over the new year who are looking forward to returning to Britain in January, the news is even more optimistic; throughout the Christmas period, the BBC says that “there were no problems reported from the French end” - only outbound travel was affected.
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