The Eurostar shambles - what is the truth?

Money_Grabber13579

Wig wrote: »

What I don't understand about this, is why did they allow a further 4 trains into the tunnels after 1 or 2 of them had got stuck down there?

But not all the trains were going in the same direction so there would have probably been at least 2 trains in the tunnel at any one time.

I don't know what the frequency of the service is like, but it is probable that there could be 2 trains in the tunnel in any one direction at one point in time. Also, when the first one failed, it was unknown what had caused it, so by sending in a second train, it should have been possible to couple them both together, and get them both out of the tunnel that way. Which would have been perfect had the 2nd train not failed also.

That's the method they tried to used last night when yet another failed, however one train couldn't provide the power to get up the steep incline outside London.

robt_2

Money_Grabber13579 wrote: »

But not all the trains were going in the same direction so there would have probably been at least 2 trains in the tunnel at any one time.

I don't know what the frequency of the service is like, but it is probable that there could be 2 trains in the tunnel in any one direction at one point in time. Also, when the first one failed, it was unknown what had caused it, so by sending in a second train, it should have been possible to couple them both together, and get them both out of the tunnel that way. Which would have been perfect had the 2nd train not failed also.

That's the method they tried to used last night when yet another failed, however one train couldn't provide the power to get up the steep incline outside London.

It is capable of taking many more trains than that. Eurotunnel (as in car and truck services) are allocated four slots per 30 minutes, and as the crossing time is about half an hour, that is up to four trains in each direction before you factor in any Eurostar (passenger) services or freight services.

amcluesent

My money is a bad software-upgrade, it beggars belief that snow covers on 6 trains all physically failed on the same day.

I reckon they'd patched the train management programs and overlooked a situation where the fail-safe would kick-in and lock the brakes on. The software patch could be related to the Aslef strike, making it possible for engineers to drive the trains.

The PR peeps won't dare release news that a program bug was the cause, hence the nonsense being spun to the news.

el_gringo_3

What is it that makes the drive on/drive off trains used by Eurotunnel resistant to this condensation issue, as opposed to the passenger only trains out of St Pancras used by Eurostar? Is it simply that there is less distance travelled outside the tunnel at both ends for the train to attrct ice and snow? I've only ever been as a foot passenger.

robt_2

el_gringo wrote: »

What is it that makes the drive on/drive off trains used by Eurotunnel resistant to this condensation issue, as opposed to the passenger only trains out of St Pancras used by Eurostar? Is it simply that there is less distance travelled outside the tunnel at both ends for the train to attrct ice and snow? I've only ever been as a foot passenger.

Pretty much. They are not trains that run at high speeds, and they only run from one end of the tunnel to the other.