THE ESSENTIAL
Efficient
7
On arrival, vehicles
drive off the Shuttles
directly onto the A16
motorway that leads
to Paris or Lille
in France or onto
the M20 to London
in the UK
Fast
Crossing the Channel takes
only 35 minutes at 140 kph
and in complete safety
on-board the Shuttle
6
Comfortable
Truck drivers are driven
in a minibus to the
air-conditioned Club Car
onboard which they
travel comfortably during
the crossing
5b
Easy
Passenger vehicles
(cars, motorcycles, camper
vans, etc.) quickly board
the Passenger Shuttles
on one of twelve platforms at
Folkestone and at Coquelles
5a
Le Shuttle – How does it work?
Eurotunnel Le Shuttle is a rolling motorway which enables vehicles carried on board
the Shuttles to cross the Channel at 140km/h, in 35 minutes. High-speed passenger
trains and freight trains may also use the Channel Tunnel, in exchange for the
payment of an access charge.
1
2
Accessible
Eurotunnel terminals are directly connected to the
motorway network and accessible via junction 11A of
the M20 motorway in the UK or junction 42 of the A16
motorway in France
Smooth
Check-in operations for vehicles take less than a
minute, thanks to automatic check-in and number
plate recognition systems
3
Simple
4
Shop and relax
Eurotunnel customers can shop, exchange
currency, relax or eat in the Victor Hugo
terminal in Folkestone or the Charles Dickens
terminal in Coquelles
Border controls by both
French and UK authorities
take place before
the Shuttle crossing
THE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT OF THE CENTURY
A fixed link to cross the English Channel on dry ground, was just a dream for centuries past…
Officially opened on 6 May 1994, the Channel Tunnel has become a reality, an outstanding
achievement for European construction.
7 years
450 km
720,000
150,000
2,500 km
13,000
of works
concrete segments
of electric cables
8
of pipe work
m3 of concrete
11
tunnel boring machines
268
cross-passages between the two
rail tunnels and the service tunnel
engineers, technicians
and workers contributed
towards building the tunnels
million m3 of spoil. Chalk marl and shale excavated from the workings were used
to create Samphire Hoe, a 30-hectare nature reserve located at the foot of the White Cliffs
of Dover in Kent, England, and a hill at Fond Pignon in France, which offers a panoramic
view over the coastal plain of the Calais region.
AN HISTORIC PROJECT, AN AMBITION FOR EUROPE
From pen and ink drawings of bridges and tunnels to the first attempts at boring, it took almost 200 years
for the cross-Channel Fixed Link to be finally built: a total investment of €15bn (current value) funded solely
by private companies and a public offering.
1802-1860
1867-1880
1985
1986
1990
1994
1802: The engineer
Albert Mathieu-Favier
made a drawing of a
bored two-level tunnel.
1803: The Englisman
Henry Mottray
proposed a submerged
tunnel made of
prefabricated iron
sections.
1834-1860: The French
mining engineer Aimé
Thomé de Gamond
drafted and presented
seven designs for a
fixed link.
Thomé de Gamond’s
last project, which
comprised an
undersea railway
tunnel, was
approved by Queen
Victoria and
Napoléon II and
presented to the
Paris World
Exhibition In 1867.
First attempts
at tunnelling on
both sides of
the Channel.
Four projects for
tunnels or bridges
were submitted.
Eurotunnel won the
tender with a
proposal for a system
with two single track
rail tunnels and one
service tunnel.
The Treaty of
Canterbury, signed
on 12 February,
stipulates that the
two States will not
contribute to the
financing of the
Channel Tunnel.
The signature
of the Concession
Agreement on
14 March with the
British and French
governments was
followed on
13 August by the
constitution of the
Eurotunnel group.
Three years after
the excavation works
started, an English and
French worker
achieved the historic
breakthrough between
England and France.
The photograph
makes headlines
around the world.
On 6 May, the
Eurotunnel transport
system was
inaugurated by
HM Queen Elizabeth II
and the French
President, François
Mitterrand.
LONDON
M20
50.5 km
9.8 km
37 km
3.7 km
Sea level
60 m Sea bed
40 m
FR Terminal
Eurotunnel Terminal
in Folkestone
Bored in a layer
of homogeneous and
impermeable chalk marl
and built at a depth
of 100 metres below
the sea level, the Tunnel
is a genuine technological
achievement.
UK Terminal
The Channel Tunnel
HS1
White and grey chalk
Chalk marl
Gault clay
One infrastructure:
three tunnels
The structure comprises three
tunnels: two single track rail
tunnels and a service tunnel
for safety and maintenance
operations. At 50 km long, the
Tunnel links Folkestone (Kent)
and Coquelles (Pas-de-Calais).
A16
Calais
A25
The system
The system operates in a loop
as Shuttle trains travel to and fro
between the terminals. Trains
can pass from one tunnel to the
other via two cross-overs, vast
sets of points located at one
third of each track. If necessary
traffic can bypass one or two
intervals, for example when
there are maintenance works,
generally at night. Traffic is thus
never interrupted.
Eurotunnel
Terminal
in Coquelles
TGV
BRUSSELS
Lille
A26
A16
Did you know?
An innovative structure
With an undersea length of 38 km,
the Channel Tunnel (50 km)
is the longest submarine tunnel
in the world.
The control centre
The management of the transport
system is carried out in one of the
two railway control centres (RCC)
located on the Folkestone and
Coquelles terminals. Round the
clock, the RCCs manage the
movement of trains and monitor
more than 20,000 different sensors
installed in the tunnels.
PARIS
A unique transport system
The Eurotunnel transport system,
which comprises among other
features the Channel Tunnel
and the Shuttles, is the only
cross-Channel service open
24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
High level of traffic
The cross-Channel Fixed Link is
one of the most intensely used
railways in the world, with the daily
crossing of 300 to 400 trains,
averaging one every three minutes.
SPEED
Quality of service: as the
fastest and the most
environmentally-friendly
way to cross the
Channel, Le Shuttle
attracts more and more
customers each year.
MORE THAN
330
MILLION PEOPLE THROUGH
THE TUNNEL SINCE 1994
PASSENGER TRAVEL, FREIGHT TRANSPORT
LINK
A vital link at the heart of the European transport network
The cross-Channel Fixed Link is the only means of crossing the Short Straits between Great-Britain
and continental Europe 365 days a year and 24 hours a day. Today Eurotunnel is a major player
in European transport, the world leader in piggyback transport and open to all railway operators.
Business travel or holidays: in just twenty years, Eurotunnel has
transported more than 330 million people between the United Kingdom
and France:
_PASSENGER SHUTTLES (Le Shuttle)/ Link Folkestone to Calais-Coquelles,
carrying cars, coaches, motorcycles, camper vans and their passengers
across in just 35 minutes.
_PASSENGER TRAINS/ The high-speed rail operator Eurostar runs trains
between London and Paris or Brussels via the Channel Tunnel and transports
10 million passengers every year. Deutsche Bahn will soon launch its own
services through the Channel Tunnel.
Le Shuttle (24 wagons)
120
A major operator in cross-Channel freight transport:
_TRUCK SHUTTLES/ A fleet of 15 Shuttles and a dedicated terminal enable
trucks to cross the Strait of Dover with one departure every ten minutes in
each direction.
_FREIGHT TRAINS/ The Fixed Link is open to all international rail freight
companies who wish to run their own trains in the Tunnel in return for
payment of an access charge.
Truck Shuttle (32 wagons)
12
800 m
32
2,400
t
Did you know?
Management of a rail-road interface: a characteristic of the Eurotunnel
service: highly trained technicians manage and regulate the rail and
road traffic from the Rail and Road Control Centres located on the
Folkestone and Coquelles terminals.
A concession. The Eurotunnel Group is an Anglo-French company,
100%-owned by 300,000 private shareholders. Since 14 March 1986,
the Group has managed the public service concession, granted until 2086,
by the United Kingdom and France.
99.8 %
ANNUAL AVAILABILITY RATE OF THE TUNNEL, OUTSIDE OF PLANNED MAINTENANCE OPERATIONS
To ensure the availability and fluidity of the cross-Channel transport service, Eurotunnel deploys its expertise
in operations management and maintains a constant ambition to increase performance, thus enabling record
punctuality in the railway sector.
MISSIONS, COMMITMENTS
Ensuring safety,
reducing
travelling time
The cross-Channel Fixed Link is the fastest,
most reliable and the safest way to travel
between the United Kingdom and France.
Eurotunnel’s mission, as Concessionaire of the
transport system (Tunnel, terminals and Shuttles), is to ensure:
F46
The maintenance workshop for Eurotunnel rolling stock is the
longest in the world (828 m).
MAINTENANCE
Only 30 hours needed to change the diamond cross-over enabling
traffic to flow from one rail tunnel to the other.
Did you know?
Tunnel access charges are set in total transparency and are very competitive.
Access charges for railway operators were defined at the outset in 1987 in the
Railways Usage Contract (RUC), a contract which was signed by British
Railways Board (BRB) and SNCF. Currently (2013), the access charges paid
to Eurotunnel represent only on average c.12.5% of the total sales price
of a London-Paris train ticket, i.e. €0.05 per kilometre under the Channel
(to be compared with €0.40/km between Coquelles and Paris).
_SAFETY OF PASSENGERS AND GOODS/ through implementing the safest possible
conditions and standards.
_FLUIDITY OF TRANSPORT SERVICES/ through optimising operations
and maintenance.
_QUALITY OF SERVICE AND PUNCTUALITY/ by guaranteeing frequency of departure, even at peak traffic periods
_MAINTENANCE OF EQUIPMENT AND
ROLLING STOCK/ Hundreds of technicians
maintain the fixed equipment on the terminals
and in the Tunnels and the rolling stock fleet
(more than 70 locomotives and 800 wagons)
on a daily basis, an important element in
ensuring the best performance from the Fixed Link. One aim: optimising maintenance
times to increase the availability of the
transport system.
GSM-P
Thanks to the
Implementation
of the GSM-P public
communication network
in the Tunnel, passengers
can keep in touch and
receive information in real
time on the slightest
traffic disruption.
Did you know?
The SAFE stations: a fire-fighting system unique
in the world and for which a patent has been
filed. The four SAFE stations enable trains to
reach a secure area in the Tunnel, in which a
mist of pressurised micro droplets is released
onto the detected hot spot. The propagation
of a fire is thus limited.
20
MILLION PASSENGERS
THROUGH THE TUNNEL
EVERY YEAR
COMFORT, SAFETY, QUALITY OF SERVICE
A company always at the forefront of technology
Every year, more than 20 million passengers (more than 10 million for the Shuttles and almost
10 million for high-speed passenger trains) travel through the Channel Tunnel. Eurotunnel
constantly innovates to improve the comfort, safety and quality of service for customers.
_A CONSTANTLY INNOVATIVE TRANSPORT SYSTEM / Since 1994, Eurotunnel
has invested more than €700 million in the modernisation of the infrastructure
(tunnels, terminals…), equipment (track, catenary…) and rolling stock for the
Fixed Link. Eurotunnel has also launched a large-scale programme to increase
the interoperability of its transport system with the European rail networks and
to meet TSI standards (Technical Specifications for Interoperability). Eurotunnel
also develops innovative solutions to improve safety. The installation of the SAFE
fire suppression stations (see above) in the Tunnel is considered by experts as
the safest in the world.
_INNOVATING TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF SERVICE/ The quality of service,
the customer experience and the fluidity of passenger flows on the terminal
are top priority issues for Eurotunnel. The Victor Hugo passenger terminal
building In Folkestone — and soon the Charles Dickens terminal in Coquelles —
has been completely refurbished to make the customer experience more
comfortable and even faster. Eurotunnel also invests heavily in new
technology: since 2012, the deployment of the GSM-P public communications
network has enabled passengers to connect to the GSM and 3G services
during their crossing through the Tunnel, even 100 metres under the Channel.
TERMINAL 2015
The Terminal 2015 project provides
for the expansion of the Folkestone
and Coquelles terminals and
includes the creation of a large
secured truck park.
PERFORMANCE OUTLOOK
A competitive group
Twenty years after the opening of the Channel Tunnel, Eurotunnel is a proven
technical and commercial success. The world leader in piggyback transport,
Eurotunnel has become a group driven by strong international growth.
2086
END DATE FOR THE
CONCESSION TO OPERATE
THE CROSS-CHANNEL FIXED
LINK AWARDED TO
EUROTUNNEL BY THE BRITISH
AND FRENCH GOVERNMENTS
_AN EFFICIENT AND COMPETITIVE GROUP/ To
guarantee performance and safety, the transport
system requires significant investments and
specific and costly maintenance. Without any
State intervention, Eurotunnel has developed a
solid business model and continues to gain
market shares. Tunnel access charges paid by rail
operators and the sales of Shuttle tickets to
customers constitute Eurotunnel’s sole financial
resources.
_AMBITIONS FOR THE FUTURE/The opening-up
of the Tunnel to all railway operators, the entry into
service of the new intra-European railway lines
and the constant increase in cross-Channel traffic
offer exciting prospects for Eurotunnel. With the
“Terminal 2015” project, Eurotunnel is pursuing
modernisation and extension of its terminals in
Folkestone and in Coquelles in order to increase
the fluidity of the traffic flows.
Did you know?
With 2,400 employees, Eurotunnel
is one the leading employers in
Kent and the Calais region.
-56%
GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
SINCE 2006
ELECTRIC SINCE 1994!
Sustainable infrastructure
manager, Eurotunnel has been
committed to renewable energies
and low-carbon transport since 1994.
CARBON FOOTPRINT, ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
A leader in eco-responsible transport and a committed
partner within its economic environment
Through the use of railway tunnels bored under the seabed and with electric traction
for trains, the Fixed Link is today the most environmentally-friendly cross-Channel
transport system.
_A SUSTAINABLE COMMITMENT TO THE ENVIRONMENT/ An active
member of the World Forum for a Responsible Economy and
committed to the Global Union for Sustainability (GUS), in 2007
Eurotunnel was also the first operator to conduct a carbon footprint
audit of its activities and keeps an accurate account of its carbon
impact. Since 2006, Eurotunnel has reduced greenhouse gas
emissions for the Fixed Link by 56% and is committed to a further 3%
reduction per year.
(1,000MW capacity) and to the development of a seafront eco-village
and golf resort at the Porte des Deux-Caps in Sangatte. As a signatory
of the United Nations Global Compact, the Group is committed through
its Charter of Ethics and Behaviour to creating, and preserving jobs,
supporting research and training its employees. Eurotunnel has already
created 8,500 direct and indirect jobs in Kent and the Calais region.
_STRIVING FOR LOW-CARBON MOBILITY/ Eurotunnel maintains an
active and sustainable policy for low-carbon transport. The company
has launched a number of initiatives to reduce the impact of its
activities on the environment: energy-saving plan, completion of a
three-turbine wind farm in Coquelles, eco-driving system for
Shuttles, load optimisation, improving air flow in the rail Tunnels,
hybrid-powered works trains...
_REGIONAL IMPACT/ Within the framework of its mission as a land
developer entrusted by the French and British governments, Eurotunnel
has progressively developed Cheriton and Orbital Parks, in the United
Kingdom, as well as the mixed development zone of Cité Europe, in
Coquelles, the 10th largest shopping centre in France. Eurotunnel Group
is pursuing its commitment by contributing significantly to the ElecLink
project, the interconnection of European electricity networks
Did you know?
Suited for people with reduced mobility
and refurbished to the highest environmental
quality standards, The Victor Hugo terminal
in Folkestone competes with the best
international airports.
OPERATING PERFORMANCE
OVER
MORE THAN
330 million
20 million
AROUND
OVER
290 million
1 million
people have already used the
Channel Tunnel since May 1994
tonnes of freight
have already been
transported via the Channel
Tunnel on board Truck
Shuttles and on rail freight
trains since May 1994
passengers each year
all services combined
(Eurotunnel Shuttles and
Eurostar trains) cross the
Channel using the Tunnel
pets (dogs, cats, ferrets)
have already travelled
on Le Shuttle since the
opening of the Pet Travel
scheme in February 2000
2.5 million
passenger vehicles
on board Le Shuttle are
carried by Eurotunnel every
year (cars, motorcycles,
camper vans…)
1.5 million
heavy goods vehicles
carried on Eurotunnel
Truck Shuttles in one
year, making it by far
the world leader in
piggyback transport
Most recent awards and distinctions for Eurotunnel
_ GLOBAL ENGINEERING CENTURY AWARD
The Channel Tunnel has won the Global Engineering Century Award as the most significant “major building project
in the last 100 years” from the FIDIC (the International federation of engineering consultants).
_ PRIZE FOR BEST CSR POLICY FOR A MAJOR GROUP
The Eurotunnel Group won this award at the 1st Nuit de l’Entreprise Solidaire et Responsable, in recognition
of Eurotunnel’s efforts in terms of sustainable development and of its commitment to responsible growth built
on values of social cohesion and dialogue.
_ GREEN FLAG AWARD
A ninth consecutive Green Flag flies on Samphire Hoe, the Group’s nature reserve at the foot of the White Cliffs of Dover.
It acknowledges the efforts made to preserve the environment and maintain biodiversity at this site.
_ BEST TRAIN COMPANY AWARD IN THE UK
Eurotunnel Le Shuttle has won this award for the second year running. Voted for by thousands of Guardian and Observer
readers, it recognises the value of Eurotunnel’s performance as the only cross-Channel operator to provide its customers
with high quality service and an environmentally-friendly transport system.
_ BEST OF THE BEST MAJOR CIVIL ENGINEERING PROJECTS OF THE PAST 20 YEARS
A rare distinction awarded to Eurotunnel by the British Construction Industry for the Channel Tunnel, taking into account
criteria such as the quality of the construction and design, safety, innovation, sustainability, ease of use and benefits
for citizens.
A Société Anonyme with a capital of €220,000,000
483 385 142 R.C.S. Paris
3, rue La Boétie
75008 Paris - France
www.eurotunnelgroup.com
WORLD LEADER IN PIGGYBACK TRANSPORT
– Illustration: Pau Molas (Kot Illustration) - Photo credits: Philippe Turpin - Eurotunnel Group - All rights reserved
Design and production
Groupe Eurotunnel SA