There will be no Eurostar services today – for the third day running – as Eurostar continues to undertake a range of tests and upgrades on its train fleets.

Today will see a continued cancellation of services as weatherproofing upgrades continue after five trains have broken down over the weekend. Thousands of passengers were trapped inside the Channel Tunnel in freezing conditions on Friday and Saturday.

The cause of the problems has apparently been identified by the group and hopes are they will addressed by day’s end. The severe French snowstorms have created onboard dramas not seen on the trains before with snow ingested at unexpected levels. The upgrades will hopefully be completed today with a view to resuming service tomorrow.

On Saturday, some 31,000 people had their travel plans thrown into disarray following the train cancellations. Yesterday an additional 27,000 were stranded although 500 people deemed to be high priority or vulnerable were transported across the channel. Friday’s problems stemmed from electrical systems being affected by condensation.

Rescue trains even suffered breakdowns as passengers complained about lack of information. There were also complaints about a lack of drink, food and power.

There are no guarantees that Eurostar will be able to resume full services prior to Christmas according to CEO Richard Brown. The group has advised that those who have been affected by the cancellation of services will be able to claim expenses if placed out of pocket and that a refund can be requested.