Eurostar Says Service May Resume Tuesday

Stranded travelers at Kings Cross St.Pancras International station in London, 21 December. Eurostar has launched an immediate review into train breakdowns over the weekend which have stranded and delayed tens of thousands of passengers. Photo by EPA/BGNES

The popular Anglo-French Eurostar rail line announced trains could resume service Tuesday as the suspension of its services left 90,000 passengers stranded.

Eurostar said it is conducting test runs with a modification of its engines that, if successful, will allow trains to begin running again Tuesday. Seats for 26,000 passengers will be available Tuesday, Eurostar said.

The popular service was suspended for the third day Monday, and ticket sales have been suspended through Friday, Christmas Day, as officials try to resolve the problems that brought about the service's worst shutdown ever.

France's transport minister said the government would launch a probe into Eurostar's breakdown that occurred during the holiday season, saying a technical shutdown of the service because of weather conditions was unacceptable.

Separately, French President Nicolas Sarkozy called on Eurostar to resume operations Tuesday during an emergency meeting with the president of French rail operator SNCF, a shareholder of Eurostar.