EUROSTAR has promised major reforms following the publication of the results of the independent investigation into December's crisis, in which more than 2,000 people were stranded in the Channel Tunnel after five trains failed. The report is highly critical of some aspects of rolling stock maintenance and the emergency procedures for rescuing passengers, saying that staff had not been properly trained to deal with the emergency.

Communications during and immediately following the failures were also inadequate, the report said, urging better management of passenger information channels and more timely updating of the company's website.

One the two assessors, Christopher Garnett, said Eurostar had been ‘found wanting’. He declined to accept suggestions that key managers should resign, saying they should remain in place to make the necessary improvements.

After the report was published, Eurostar said it would be investing more than £30 million ‘to improve the resilience of trains, passenger care and communication’.

The present chief executive Richard Brown will move to the new post of deputy chairman on 5 April, and chief operating officer Nicolas Petrovic will be promoted to replace him.  Mr Brown is to replace chairman Guillaume Pepy at a later date, but as deputy chairman he will be responsible for overseeing the changes recommended by the independent review. The company also announced that it is appointing Richard Morris as the new director of business and service continuity, reporting to the chief executive. He will be in charge of a special group which will administer the details of the changes.  

Originally, it had been intended that Mr Brown would move to the post of chairman in January, but all management changes were put on hold following the events just before Christmas, which included the complete suspension of Eurostar services on 20 and 21 December while the causes of the train failures on 18 December were assessed.

The company is also proceeding with its move to a new combined corporate structure, Eurostar International.