Day £150m Brussels gravy train hit buffers!

AT A hefty cost of £150 million to European taxpayers every year, it is the embodiment of the EU’s notorious gravy train.

But MEPs on their monthly jaunt to Strasbourg were stranded for hours yesterday when a power failure brought their special rail service to a sudden halt.

They and their staff were forced to wait outside the carriages in the French countryside after being left with no water or air conditioning. The incident renewed criticism of the so-called ‘travelling circus’ which sees 4,000 Brussels officials and politicians decamp to the French city for one week every month.

The decision to host a second seat for the parliament was dreamt up to appease France. It involves 2,500 boxes of material being moved from MEPs’ offices in Brussels to Strasbourg, where the MEPs stay in hotels and dine out courtesy of the taxpayer.

The EU charters two trains every month to ferry officials and politicians.

After an hour stuck inside the train in sweltering heat yesterday, the VIP passengers were allowed off while posting complaints on social media.

Some of the 300 affected complained there was no water on board while others said the toilets were unusable.

Liberal Democrat MEP Catherine Bearder, who was on board the service, said: ‘Today is unpleasant and a waste of time, and it might help change minds about the absurdity of having two places of business.’

A rescue train eventually arrived and pulled the European Parliament group to Strasbourg at 7pm having left Brussels at 9.30am.