Eurostar, the Channel Tunnel high-speed train organisation, has rebounded from the disastrous pre-Christmas breakdowns to record a first quarter increase.

Late 2009 saw the rail carrier crippled by a series of breakdowns due to freezing weather that drew critical responses from the media, the travelling public and industry analysts. On a number of occasions, power failures caused lengthy delays and even entrapments in wintry conditions.

However, with the company reporting a £178 million sales revenue taking for the three month period for the beginning of this year, a significant turnaround has been achieved. The figure represents a 5 per cent increase of revenue yield from the same period last year.

The first three months of 2010 saw passenger numbers hit the two million mark, an increase from last year’s first quarter numbers from 2009. The turnaround was aided by the market outside of Europe recording a 22 per cent increase.

The one market segment not to rise in 2010’s first quarter was in the number of business travellers, with sales remaining flat. The leisure market, however, rose by 6 per cent to reach 1.76 million.

The news was welcomed by Eurostar, which runs train services between London and Brussels and Paris, mainly for the redressing of the stranding issues inside tunnels in the Christmas dramas that dramatically hurt Eurostar’s brand image. So bad were conditions that all services were halted for three days, leaving holiday travel plans in chaos.