Cross-Channel train company Eurostar has revealed it is to pay out up to £10million in compensation to thousands of its passengers for the snow-related travel chaos over the Christmas period.

Around two thousand people were stranded in the tunnel underneath the English Channel after several Eurostar trains broke down due to what it called the 'wrong kind of snow'.

It is estimated that around a hundred thousand passengers were affected by the subsequent cancellations over the busy Christmas period.

Eurostar boss Richard Brown wrote to those affected to apologise for the disruption, and said that the company was doing all it could to adequately prepare for severe weather conditions in the future.

He said: “I am acutely aware that we have to win back the trust of our customers following the disruption to our services before Christmas.

“We failed to deliver the expected standard of service, and I apologise unreservedly for the problems that occurred.”