Eurostar limits weekend service after 4 trains stuck in cold - Summary

London - Eurostar canceled all its services Saturday morning, after more than 2,000 passengers on four of its trains were stuck in a tunnel under the English Channel because of technical problems caused by bad weather. The European high-speed rail operator said a limited service would resume after 1100 GMT and advised passengers with pre-booked tickets not to travel Saturday.

"The rest of the day and into Sunday Eurostar services will be severely disrupted as well," the rail operator announced on its website. The statement said services should be back to normal Monday.

The difference in temperatures between the cold outside air and the warm tunnel had caused the breakdowns on the train service between Britain and continental Europe, a spokesman for the trains' operator told the BBC.

Passengers in two of the trains were evacuated from the tunnel with a shuttle early Saturday while a backup locomotive pushed the two other trains toward Folkestone in south-eastern England, the spokesman said.

All four Eurostar trains were on their way from Paris to London when they became stuck in the tunnel. Two other trains traveling from Brussels and Paris to London were rerouted before they too could become stuck.

The passengers in the halted trains were in no danger, Eurostar spokesman Grant Smith told the BBC earlier. He admitted, however, that they must be "very uncomfortable" while adding that the trains had battery-driven emergency lighting so they were not sitting in the dark.

Northern France and south-eastern England saw heavy snowfall and icy temperatures overnight after experiencing widespread transport disruptions because of the winter weather already on Friday.

Power outages, school closures and flight cancellations were seen in many areas. British airlines announced further service disruptions for Saturday.

Temperatures also plummeted in other parts of Europe, including Italy, Germany and Poland.