Eurotunnel
Eurotunnel
Eurotunnel, also known as the Chunnel or Channel Tunnel, is a 50.45km rail tunnel beneath the English Channel at the Straits of Dover, connecting Folkestone in Kent with Coquelles, near Calais in northern France.
There are two single-track rail tunnels, and a third smaller service tunnel as an emergency exit (with frequent cross passages). These were bored through the chalk from either side, and met in the middle. It is the second-longest rail tunnel in the world, and the undersea section, at 37.9 km, is the longest undersea tunnel in the world.
The American Society of Civil Engineers has deemed it one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. The tunnel copies some of the Alpine mountain tunnels in carrying cars and lorries on drive-on/drive-off shuttle trains.
Operated by Eurotunnel and called “le Shuttle”, these share the tracks with high-speed, long-distance passenger trains run by Eurostar. While the vehicle shuttle competes head-on with the ferries, Eurostar trains regard their main competitor as the airlines, and charge fares to match airline business tickets.
History
In 1957, proposals for a tunnel under the English Channel consisting of two railway tunnels and a smaller service tunnel were discussed. In 1973 this resulted in a small amount of construction taking place, but political complications forced the plans to be shelved. In 1984 the original proposals were again given serious consideration, this time with a joint push from both the British and French governments for a private firm to undertake the project. Four proposals were put forward for the Anglo-French link including two variations of railway tunnel, a road tunnel and even a bridge spanning the English Channel.
The design finally chosen was the rail link. The announcement that the tunnel would be constructed was made on the 20th January 1986, and the Franco-British Channel Fixed Link Treaty was signed in Canterbury, Kent, and ratified in 1987. The funding for the construction came from a consortium of ten construction companies and five banks. The route chosen took the tunnel from Folkestone to Calais - not actually the shortest possible route under the Channel - and followed a single chalk stratum.
The construction of the Eurotunnel took over seven years and involved more than 13,000 workers. Digging took place on both sides of the channel, using lasers to pinpoint direction and ensure that the two tunnels would meet precisely. The digging was done by large boring machines called TBMs, which drilled and removed waste, whilst simultaneously lining the freshly cut rock with concrete to prevent collapse. When the two ends of the tunnel met the French TBM was dismantled whilst the British one was diverted into the rock, sealed in concrete and abandoned.
The two ends of the service tunnel met on December 1st 1990, with a ceremony taking place in the tunnel. The two main tunnels met on May 22nd 1991 and June 28th 1991. Over the following three years the tunnel was equipped with furnishings and facilities, and was completed in 1994.