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Freight and passenger traffic resumed on Saturday in the Channel Tunnel linking Britain to continental Europe after a fire on Thursday that completely halted traffic and caused chaos for thousands of people. Eurostar, which runs passenger trains through the undersea tunnel, said it would run up to 12 trains each way on Saturday between London and Paris and up to six each way between London and Brussels.
That represents about half the usual traffic through the tunnel, normally used by 40,000 people every day. "Trains are operating through the single tunnel that is unaffected by the fire," Eurostar said in a statement, advising ticket holders to turn up at the scheduled time. Eurostar trains usually travel from Paris to London in 2 hours and 15 minutes. French state radio reported the first train to leave Paris arrived in London 20 minutes late.
The fire in the 50-km (31-mile) tunnel was put out on Friday, almost 20 hours after it took hold 11 km from the French end on a freight train being transported through the facility. No one was killed in the fire, which turned the north shaft into an inferno, with temperatures reaching 1,000 degrees Celsius (1,800 Fahrenheit). Repairs will take weeks.
Officials have said the fire appeared to have started by accident but it was too early to identify the exact cause. Investigators were unable to reach some sections of the tunnel by late Friday due to dangerously high temperatures. Eurotunnel, which manages the rail link, said traffic resumed in the south tunnel just before 2300 GMT on Friday.
"Having carried out a comprehensive technical inspection of the infrastructure in the south rail tunnel, and having sent empty test shuttles through, Eurotunnel announces that Channel Tunnel traffic resumes," the company said in a statement. The halt in all rail traffic through the tunnel left thousands stranded on both sides.
A lucky few were able to secure hotel rooms in London or Paris, but many spent uncomfortable nights in train stations. Opened in 1994, the Channel Tunnel is the longest undersea subway in the world. There have been two previous blazes in the tunnel, both involving lorries being transported on trains. A 1996 fire halted freight traffic for seven months.

Copyright Reuters, 2008

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