The Channel Tunnel was reopened on Saturday after a smoke alert forced the closure of the rail link that connects Britain to continental Europe, Reuters quoted Eurotunnel as saying. Eurostar trains faced delays of between one and three hours during the morning, French railway operator SNCF said, but the service was operating normally by early afternoon. Sensors detected smoke at around 0800 GMT when a shuttle transporting lorries was travelling through the tunnel. Around 30 passengers and crew were evacuated from the train and traffic was halted as engineers checked the system. Eurotunnel, which operates the Channel Tunnel, has a comprehensive system of sensors along the length of the 50-km (30 miles) undersea link to detect any sign of smoke or fire. -- SPA
