Fire and ice: Eurostar's recent woes

11 September 2008: The Channel tunnel is closed after a fire breaks out on a lorry being carried on a freight train about seven miles from Calais, badly damaging the tunnel. Thirty-two people are led to safety. No Eurostar or Eurotunnel services run for two days and services are restricted for months afterwards. 23 February 2009: A full Eurostar service runs for the first time since the fire, after repairs costing more than £60m. 18 December : Five Eurostar services break down inside the tunnel during snowy weather, trapping around 2,400 people. No trains run before 22 December, and services remain disrupted up to Christmas. 7 January 2010: A Eurostar train from Brussels to London gets stuck inside the tunnel with traction problems and has to be towed out by a rescue engine. 9 January: Eurostar restricts services due to problems caused by heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures, with passengers urged to postpone trips if possible. 11 February: Fresh snowfalls in Kent hit both the Eurostar express and Eurotunnel shuttle services, with passenger trains delayed by up to two hours because of a points failure.