Services through the Channel Tunnel were reportedly disrupted last night due to suspected migrants on the track and the roofs of trains.
Some passengers on Eurostar were told people had managed to get on top of their train and were asked to “listen out for people walking on the roof,” according to Sky News.
Reporting the initial disruption shortly before 9pm, Eurostar tweeted: “Trains are waiting to enter the tunnel as trespassers are on the tracks at Calais, the authorities are on site to help.”
Following long delays at the French port, two services were forced to turn back, one to London and one to Paris.
Another train heading to London was unable to return to Paris because of a technical fault. Up to 2,000 passengers were affected by the disruption.
Eurostar expects a normal service to resume this morning morning but two trains have been cancelled “in order to ensure the service is as robust as possible”.
Eurostar passenger Dan Griffey told Sky News: “We were stopped at 9.15pm just outside Calais after leaving Paris and were told we had some trespassers on the roof and around the vehicle, and we have been here ever since.
“The train lost power and was pushed back into the Calais station now which we have just been allowed to disembark.
“Quite some delay – five hours or so without light or water or air conditioning. The police inspected the train with a helicopter.”
Eurostar said: “Due to the situation in Calais during the evening of Tuesday 1st September, trains 9053, 9054 were unable to complete their journeys. Train 9053 returned to Paris, and train 9054 returned to London.