Hundreds of passengers have been stuck for up to eight hours on a train travelling from London to Amsterdam with no power, food or working toilets.

The 8.16am Eurostar service was stranded just before the Channel Tunnel in Kent.

One of the passengers, Ben Williams told The Independent that the train ground to a halt, but that no announcements were made due to the power cut: “I think the staff are all very stressed themselves, and I don’t think they’re being kept very well up to date.

”To be honest, I’ve been pacing myself just because obviously the toilets aren’t functioning.”

Another passenger, Rebecca Morris told the BBC that the situation was “just dreadful” and that the train was “freezing cold”.

Photos of overflowing toilets and sinks were also posted online, with one user saying the situation was “getting extremely dangerous”.

A spokesperson for the rail operator said that an overhead cable had fallen onto the train: “There are around 700 passengers and crew on board are confirmed to be safe.

“Following a complicated situation due to the position of the train and the track infrastructure, it’s meant that certain safety procedures had to be adhered to before we could move the train. The train is currently in the process of being brought back to London.”

Eurostar has apologised and is promising to compensate passengers.

Earlier this week it was announced that the Amsterdam to London Eurostar service was going to be suspended for six months from June 2024 to early 2025 due to major renovation work at the Centraal station in the Dutch city.

The works mean that there is not enough space to process London-bound passengers who require screening and passport checks, however the service from London to Amsterdam will operate normally.