The fire broke out last Thursday afternoon, the third since opening in 1994, and both Eurostar and Eurotunnel shuttle services were initially suspended whilst rescue operations fought to clear around 27 burnt our HGV vehicles from the tunnel. No one was seriously hurt in the fire although several passengers spent the night in a French hospital where they were briefly admitted for ‘observation’.

Since the fire, the short-sea ferry companies have enjoyed a mini-boom in bookings as displaced customers sought alternative means to cross the Channel and Eurotunnel will no doubt be keen to resume commercial operations as quickly as possible to mitigate losses.

Once again, Eurotunnel’s emergency procedures seem to have worked satisfactorily and the evacuation of the tunnel was handled well, however, the ensuing chaos on the M20 caused by ‘Operation Stack’ has met some criticism.

We can only speculate as to the cause of the fire whilst investigations continue but the bad publicity can only serve to damage consumer confidence in Eurotunnel’s product.

Mini-post by Alan Potts

Time is meaningless, you go where the mood (or train if you’re on InterRail) takes you and wherever you lay your hat is your home.

Unfortunately, the novelty wore off for me on a month-long trip around Europe in my teens when, grubby and skint, I laid my hat, or at least my rucksack, at Nice station and was woken at 5am by a sadistic cleaner hosing me down with ice cold water.

After quickly coming round, I realised what little money I had was no longer in my pocket and the cleaner’s impromptu shower had somehow managed to soak me to the skin without actually freshening the vital areas.

These days, I like a hot shower in the morning and clean underwear every day. And in the evening I favour a crisp shirt on my back and a good woman on my arm before heading off to a decent restaurant.

So you’ll not be surprised to learn that on a recent holiday to New York I turned my nose up at the shuttle bus and opted for a huge white limousine for the trip from JF Kennedy airport to Manhattan.

Decadent? It wasn’t as expensive as you might think.

I was in a group of six and two taxis would have cost a flat fare of $45 each, plus tolls and tips. The limo, which comfortably took six, charged an all-in fare of $120, although flushed with cash at the start of the trip we felt obliged to add a generous tip on top.

But there’s nothing like arriving in style, which reminds me how alarmed I was to hear that P&O Ferries and Eurotunnel are set to copy the low-cost airline model.

What on earth could this mean, I wondered? We don’t expect much service on a shuttle, but will we be arriving in Calais after having sat on a cramped seat and forked out for a coffee and a bag of nuts? What’s happened to the bars, Langan’s Brasserie and the all-you-can-eat buffet?

Fear not, it’s all still there. P&O and Eurotunnel have merely switched to the low-cost pricing model.

This was a significant move. Instead of offering tactical discounts throughout the summer, the companies are now using on-line booking systems with prices which start low for those booking well in advance and rise closer to departure.

As with the airlines, prices will constantly change, depending on demand and the new websites will offer customers a range of crossings as alternatives to the ones they request. So, you will be able to see that it might be cheaper to go on an alternative, less popular, crossing.

It’s called yield management – basically using changing prices to make sure ships and shuttles are as full as they can be.

Also, P&O says its new computer system will enable it to ‘crew accordingly’, by working out how many people are on a sailing and putting on just enough staff to look after them. So, if you pick a really quiet crossing, could it just be you and the captain?

The new system should benefit everyone and as long as there’s someone to serve in the bars and restaurants, then I won’t complain.

You’ve got to be able to arrive in style, or at least well fed and watered…

Guest Article by Jeremy Skidmore