Tunnel Fire Halts English Channel Trains

Flights grounded at least 2 more days after Icelandic volcano eruption

(NEWSER) - The cloud of volcanic ash emanating from Iceland has reached northern Scotland, and the aviation disruption caused by the floating debris will continue for at least 2 more days, the Times of London reports. Thousands of flights have been grounded, crippling airline schedules around the world, and now health concerns are emerging. Meanwhile, the volcano is still erupting. More»

(NEWSER) - Some 740 passengers had to be evacuated from a packed Eurostar train from Paris last night after the electricity failed. Passengers were plunged into darkness as they awaited rescuers with ladders shortly after the train left the chunnel and headed toward London. More»

Debt-plagued cross-Channel rail company sees light at the end of the tunnel

(NEWSER) - Eurotunnel is in the black for the first time since the France-England tunnel opened in 1994, the BBC reports. The company says it has turned the corner after many troubled years, helped by a sweeping debt restructuring plan and the opening of a new high-speed rail link on the British side that has cut London-Paris travel time to under two hours. More»

New Eurostar line cuts London-Paris transit time by 20 minutes

(NEWSER) - Top travel time between London and Paris should be at least 20 minutes faster thanks to track improvements that allowed a Eurostar train to set a record this morning. The test journey from Paris to St. Pancras Station, London, a 306-mile trip, took 2:03:39, the BBC reports. Regular service, priced to compete with flying, begins in November. More»

Officials investigate whether arsonist set blaze

(NEWSER) - A fire near Gainesville, Fla., sent smoke billowing across Interstate 75 that caused a horrific multi-vehicle pileup and left at least ten people dead and 18 others injured today. Officials are investigating whether the blaze was arson or started by accident, the AP reports. In the darkness of early morning, drivers enveloped in smoke and a faint fog collided in a mass of cars, big rigs, and a motor home. "You heard like 15 times somebody hit, from this side and that, north and south. It was bad," one driver told the Gainesville Sun . More»