A teenager left a rail network with a loss of almost £1.3 million after he ran onto tracks in an attempt to escape from police, a court heard.

Joel Khonde was said by a judge to have caused “absolute turmoil” to Eurostar and passengers on May 29 last year.

The 19-year-old fled onto the high speed line at Ebbsfleet International station and ran along the track, before disappearing into a tunnel linking Kent to Essex under the River Thames.

It took almost four hours to catch him, using a police helicopter, and it was another hour before Eurostar and Southeastern high speed train services in and out of London's St Pancras International could be resumed.

Maidstone Crown Court heard 70 journeys were delayed by a total of 3,718 minutes, with 10 per cent of services cancelled.

More than 1,000 passengers were stranded on trains for two hours, with those at St Pancras stuck for four hours. Rail staff were subjected to abuse because of it.

The financial impact to Southeastern in repaying 5,026 commuters under the Delay Repay scheme was £47,890. The total loss was £1,260,205.

When arrested, Khonde asked officers: "Is it going to be on the news? I've stopped the Eurostar and everything."

He was sentenced to 12 months youth custody, but walked free having served the equivalent of 14 months on remand.

Judge Philip Statman said Khonde, who admitted obstructing an engine or carriage by trespassing on railway tracks, had been sufficiently punished.

“The result of your obstruction was that substantial delays were caused,” he told the teenager, who has ADHD. “The rail system was in absolute turmoil and you will appreciate, no doubt, that this makes the offence extremely serious.

"I am satisfied that you did not set out to cause that level of disruption. Had I been of a different view, the sentence would have had to reflect that and would have been very long indeed.

“What you have served already is sufficient punishment."

Khonde ran onto the tracks at Ebbsfleet at 5pm, having telephoned an aunt to threaten he would burn out his grandmother's home in nearby Bankside.

He believed she had “shopped” him to police for an unrelated matter.

A train full of passengers was waiting to leave but when the teenager saw police he ran towards the Kent portal tunnel.

Khonde, of White Hart Lane, Tottenham, north London, tried to climb a fence and threw stones at chasing officers before venturing into the tunnel on the London-bound track.

He was arrested on the Essex side of the high speed line at 8.50pm.

Khonde was also charged with burglary and destroying property but was acquitted at a trial in October.

He was also cleared of destroying property but convicted of threatening to destroy property and theft.

Judge Statman directed the authorities supervising Khonde's licence period should assist with his anger management and mental health problems.