Although Eurostar services have returned to normal after the three-day shutdown caused by train failures, a war of words has broken out between Eurotunnel and Eurostar.

Eurotunnel is accusing the operator of breaking safety rules, and also says police in Kent made matters worse by imposing ‘incomprehensible and interminable checks and controls’.

Eurostar has been defending its role in the crisis on 18 December, when five trains stalled successively in the Channel Tunnel, stranding 2000 passengers. It's now understood that the problem was caused by very fine snow in northern France, which penetrated the ventilation grilles on the power cars and caused short circuits in the warmer Tunnel. New modifications have been installed in a bid to prevent this happening again.

But Eurostar has mainly come under fire because of the long delays which occurred before all the passengers could be evacuated. The operator has launched an ‘independent review’ into the problems, which is being jointly led by former Eurotunnel commercial director Christopher Garnett and the French inspector general of bridges and ways, Claude Gressier. 

Eurotunnel has criticised this investigation, saying that Mr Garnett and M.Gressier “are not independent, nor are they an Enquiry Commission in the sense of the Concession because there is no reason at all why their mission should be uniquely focused on the Tunnel”.

It is also denying that there were communication breakdowns between Eurostar and Eurotunnel which affected the progress of the rescue, claiming instead that it was Eurostar staff who had tended to make matters worse. Eurotunnel alleged: “Although they were in constant contact with our teams, it is apparent that the on board Eurostar crews did not relay any useful information to their passengers.”

Meanwhile, Eurostar CEO Richard Brown has published an open letter in which he offers his ‘heartfelt apology’ for the crisis.

Kent Police said it would ‘address any specific concerns if raised through the appropriate channels’.