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Eurostar services return to normal after major Channel Tunnel disruption
Thomas Mackintoshand
Claire Keenan
Getty ImagesEurostar and Le Shuttle services between the UK and France have resumed through the Channel Tunnel after major travel disruption on Tuesday.
Thousands of passengers faced hours of delays after Eurostar cancelled most of its London to Europe services due to overhead power supply problem and a failed Le Shuttle train which blocked all routes.
Repair work took place overnight and rail services through the tunnel in both directions resumed on Wednesday morning.
But Eurostar urged passengers to check before travelling as it warned for possible knock-on delays and last-minute cancellations.
Most of Eurostar’s Wednesday morning services in and out of London St Pancras have departed.
Only three – one towards Paris Gare du Nord; another destined for Brussels Midi and the other bound for Amsterdam Centraal- have been cancelled, according to Eurostar’s website.
The high-speed rail firm apologised for any inconvenience caused to passengers.
Eurostar said: “We plan to run all of our services today, however due to knock on impacts there may still be some delays and possible last-minute cancellations.
“Customers are advised to check for live updates on the status of their train on the Eurostar website.”
Eurostar said one extra London to Paris service will run on Wednesday and that passengers are entitled to “enhanced compensation” which includes 100% refund of their ticket and 150% of their ticket price as an e-voucher.
Le Shuttle services from Folkestone are running normally following earlier delays on Wednesday morning. However, there are still delays of an hour at Calais – although down from the earlier reported six hours.
EPAThe Channel Tunnel accommodates Eurostar services as well as Le Shuttle vehicle-carrying trains between the UK and France.
Getlink, which operates the Channel Tunnel, said work continued through the night to fix the power issue.
The problem with the overhead power supply and the broken down Le Shuttle train blocked all routes on Tuesday.
It caused travel disruption for thousands trying to get away for New Year’s Eve as the majority of Eurostar trains from London to Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels were cancelled.
Images of massive crowds of travellers stranded at London St Pancras International flooded social media following Tuesday’s power outage.
Cars that had hoped to use the Channel Tunnel caused traffic jams near Le Shuttle’s Terminal in Folkestone.
Some Eurostar and Le Shuttle services were able to resume on Tuesday evening, but delays remained as only one of the Channel Tunnel’s two rail lines were open.
However, some passengers were stuck on board trains overnight.
Dennis Van Der Steen boarded a train for Amsterdam, which departed London St Pancras at 20:49 on Tuesday.
But before the train reached the Eurostar tunnel, it came to a stop. After a six-hour wait at the entrance to the tunnel the service turned back to London.
Others disrupted passengers resorted to creative solutions to make their New Year’s Eve plans.
Floriaen Dullaert – who had been due to travel from Amsterdam to London – bought a bike in Brussels for €20, then took a train to Dunkirk and boarded a late-night ferry to Dover.
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UniQure needs to run another study to prove that its gene therapy “actually helps people with Huntington’s disease,” a senior U.S. Food and Drug Administration official said on a call with reporters Thursday.
The official, who requested anonymity before discussing sensitive information, confirmed the agency has asked the company to run a placebo controlled trial of its treatment, which is administered directly into the brain. UniQure has said that type of study isn’t ethical because it would require putting people under general anesthesia for hours, a characterization the official disputed.
“So what is really going on? UniQure is the latest company to make a failed therapy for Huntington’s patients,” the official said. “They likely acknowledge or understand at some deep level that their trial failed years ago, and instead of doing the right thing and running the correct clinical study, UniQure is performing a distorted or manipulated comparison in the mind of FDA.”
The comments mark the latest development in a messy public spat between UniQure and the FDA, and as the agency comes under fire for a number of recent drug approval application rejections, including some where companies have accused it of going back on previous guidance. FDA Commissioner Marty Makary in an interview with CNBC’s Becky Quick last week seemingly criticized UniQure’s gene therapy for Huntington’s disease. Makary didn’t name UniQure but described its treatment.
UniQure then accused the FDA of reversing its stance that the company’s clinical trial data would be sufficient to seek approval. UniQure’s study used an outside database to measure how patients with Huntington’s disease might decline without treatment, known as an external control. UniQure has said it wouldn’t be feasible to run a true randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled study, considered the gold standard, because it wouldn’t be ethical to make people undergo a sham hours-long brain surgery.
The FDA official said the agency “never agreed to accept this distorted comparison” and the FDA “never makes such assurances.” Instead, the “FDA will always say, ‘Well, we have to see the data when we get it.'”
UniQure didn’t immediately comment.
The company’s stock rose more than 10% on Thursday and has fallen 58% this year as of Thursday afternoon.
The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) on Thursday warned of strict action against any individual or entity found involved in the illegal hoarding of petroleum products at unauthorised locations, particularly at places other than duly licensed oil depots and retail outlets of Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs).
In a statement, an Ogra spokesperson said: “Any premises found involved in the illegal storage of petroleum products will be sealed.”
The spokesperson assured the public that the country currently holds sufficient stocks of petroleum products to meet national demand and that there is no need for panic buying or hoarding.
In view of the prevailing geopolitical situation, the official said that the authorities are closely monitoring the petroleum supply chain to ensure the uninterrupted availability of products across the country.
“The existing stock position remains comfortable and well within the prescribed requirements,” read the statement.
Reports have indicated that certain elements may attempt to hoard petroleum products for profiteering under such circumstances, the spokesperson said, adding: “To curb such practices, all provincial chief secretaries have been requested to direct deputy commissioners (DCs) to conduct inspections within their respective jurisdictions.”
Meanwhile, teams of Ogra are actively monitoring the situation in the field, the official added.
Inspections are being carried out at oil depots and retail outlets to ensure the smooth supply of petroleum products and to prevent any malpractice, read the statement.
Ogra advised the public not to pay attention to rumours and to maintain normal consumption patterns, as the petroleum supply situation in the country remains stable.
Uninterrupted petroleum supply top priority: FinMin
Separately, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has said that ensuring uninterrupted availability of petroleum products across the country is the government’s top priority.
The finance czar made the remarks while chairing a meeting of the committee to Monitor Petrol Prices in the Wake of the Emerging Situation in the region, constituted by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in Islamabad today.
The committee was briefed that national reserves remain at comfortable levels, with sufficient cover available for key products, and that there is no immediate cause for concern regarding the availability of petroleum products.
It reviewed multiple supply and pricing scenarios to ensure preparedness under different contingencies and to maintain stability in domestic energy supplies.
The committee will finalise its recommendations by tomorrow for onward submission to the prime minister.
It will continue to meet on a daily basis to monitor developments, review stock positions and supply chain movements, and ensure timely execution across all stakeholders.
The committee also noted that “war premium” dynamics and intensified competition for energy cargoes, particularly in Asian markets, could raise external account pressures if volatility persists.
The body reviewed ongoing efforts to strengthen supply assurance through diversified sourcing and logistics arrangements.
The committee also considered shipping and operational measures to reduce time lags, including facilitation of timely berthing and the use of available national shipping capacity where feasible.
To safeguard orderly market conditions, the committee discussed measures to deter hoarding, illegal storage, and diversion, including coordinated enforcement actions by provincial administrations in close collaboration with the Ogra and relevant agencies.
The committee emphasised that preventing outward smuggling and ensuring uninterrupted domestic distribution will remain a top operational priority, and that real-time field intelligence and strict action against violations will be maintained.
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