By Lynda Myer
Following 30 years that Queen Elizabeth II inaugurated it, the Channel Tunnel has celebrated its anniversary.
Being opened on May 6, 1994, this tunnel connects France and the UK and the occasion was marked by the Queen and the French president, François Mitterrand, making the journey between the two countries.
To commemorate the anniversary, Getlink and its subsidiary Eurotunnel paid tribute to those who contributed to the success of the project from the outset, as well as those now shaping the future of passenger, freight and energy transport between the UK, France and continental Europe.
As the longest underwater segment in the world, this tunnel with 50km length includes 37km undersea tunnel that is 75m beneath sea level. More than 13,000 people, from both sides of the Channel, were involved in its construction.
With an average capacity of one train per four minutes, or 400 trains a day at different speeds, this tunnel is a high traffic infrastructure, while the speeds are 160km/h for the high-speed trains, 140km/h for the LeShuttle shuttles operated by Eurotunnel and 120km/h for the national rail freight trains.
During the past 30 years, half a billion rail passengers have travelled through the tunnel.
In order to balancing the energy needs of the UK and France, the 1GW capacity ElecLink interconnector was installed in the tunnel in 2022.
According to Getlink chairman Jacques Gounon: “The Channel Tunnel was an exceptional human adventure that had revolutionised relations between Europe and Great Britain. Already ahead of its time when it was inaugurated, it is still incredibly modern, offering millions of people and goods the possibility of crossing the Channel very quickly while respecting the environment. This success has been made possible by the visionaries who designed it, the investors who financed it, the builders who built it, and the employees who operate it every day. With all of them, Eurotunnel has entered the history books.”
Getlink CEO Yann Leriche paid tribute to the tunnel’s designers and builders who as true visionaries, designed an infrastructure that is unique in the world.
“The importance of the vital link between the UK and the European continent has been reaffirmed more than ever, and its role in decarbonising trade in Europe makes it an exceptionally modern structure,” he said.
