Channel Tunnel

The Channel Tunnel is a major crossing of the English Channel. Nick named the Chunnel and opening in 1994 It is one of the world's longest Tunnels and it took over 150 years to build though the current bore took six years to build. The Tunnel is actually three tunnels. You have the two main rail tunnels that take International services between London, Paris & Brussels, Railfreight for routes throughout Europe and a motorail service between the two termini. Eurostar services now use HS1. The third tunnel is a service tunnel used by maintenance and safety vehicles to access all parts of the tunnel rapidly.

History

Once of the earliest bores was built around 1802 but was cancelled due to the Napoleonic Wars. The 1880 bore was also a failure. However that bore discovered coal and thus led to the East Kent Coalfield. There was also more ambitious plan that had a road tunnel and bridge and rail tunnel. Called Euroroute, it would have linked the M20 to France's A26 Autoroute. This was planned at the same time as the current tunnel but was rejected. The current tunnel began work in 1988 and in 1990, the two sides met. In 1994, two Class 319's became the first passenger rail vehicles to cross the tunnel.

Access

Access through the tunnel for motor traffic is via M20 junction 11A. Vehicles are driven onto the Eurotunnel service, which ferries them through the tunnel. A similar unloading mechanism occurs at the other end at Calais, leading to A16 junction 42a.

The other service through the tunnel is the high-speed Eurostar train service, from London St Pancras to Paris Gare Du Nord and Brussels South.

Safety

The Tunnel has a good safety record. Since opening, there have seven fires and three breakdowns, none of which caused any serious injuries. On both sides of the Tunnel there are safety crews and on the Le Shuttle, there are safety messages in both English and French. Also the Service tunnel services as the main evacuation route from the tunnel.

The two fires occurred on the Eurotunnel motorail freight services. The first was on 18 November 1996, caused by a truck carrying polycrine. The second was on 21 August 2006, when a fire broke out in a lorry's containment hold.

Routes

British Side

Route	To	Notes
M20	London, Ashford	E15
M20	Ramsgate, Canterbury, Folkestone, Dover	E15
A20	Sellindge, Ashford (M20), Hythe (A261)
B2064	Folkestone, Cheriton

French Side

Route	To	Notes
A16	Boulogne, Rouen	E402
A16	Calais, Dunkirk, Lille, Paris, Brussels	E15, E40

Links

• Eurotunnel page
• Eurostar page
• Roads.org.uk page about Euroroute