Eurostar has bounced back from the pre-Christmas breakdown chaos by posting an increase in sales of 5.9 percent to £178m in the first quarter of this year.

Passenger numbers rose to 2 million, compared to 1.9 million in the same period last year. The growth was spurred by a resurgent leisure market, up 6 percent to 1.76 million. The business was flat compared to 12 months earlier when the market reached its trough.

Number included a 22 percent rise in passengers from markets outside Europe.

“Whilst there is still uncertainty about the economic outlook, we have seen a big increase in leisure travel over the last three months, not just from the continent but from overseas markets,” said Nicolas Petrovic , the recently-appointed chief executive.

Eurostar came under heavy criticism in an independent report into the breakdown of five trains in the Channel Tunnel after heavy snow over the peak Christmas travel period.

Its found that the high-speed operator had “no plan in place” to deal with the breakdowns, with “inadequate” provision of information to customers who were trapped in dark, with no water or heating, and toilets overflowing.