Paris: Eurostar resumed its high-speed
rail service linking Britain, France and Belgium on Tuesday after a
three-day suspension that stranded tens of thousands of
travellers during the holiday season and left French President
Nicolas Sarkozy indignant.
The first train pulled out of the Gare du Nord station
in Paris shortly after 8 am (1230 IST) carrying 750
passengers, most of whom had been stranded for days. Hundreds
of others waited in a line that stretched across the vast
Paris station, as Eurostar staff circulated with trays of
pastries and coffee in paper cups.
Terminal manager Nelly Clair-Meunier said people who
were supposed to travel over the weekend were being given
priority on today`s trains, which were expected to leave
hourly throughout most of the day.
"It`s going quite well," Clair-Meunier told AP. "The
passengers were quite happy and they were thanking us
for getting to travel on that first train."
Claire Morley, a 23-year-old student from Paris, said
she and her travelling companion had been waiting in line
since 5:30 am (1000 IST). Both were scheduled to travel today
and had been closely following news of Eurostar`s suspension
throughout the weekend.
"It`s supposed to be a pleasurable trip, just a little
holiday," Morley said of her planned three-day stay in the
British capital. "It`s not starting off on such a relaxing
note, though," she said as she boarded the first train of the
day.
PTI
