How long english channel tunnel

In , the Channel Tunnel Study Group was established to research the possibility of building a tunnel link. Studies conducted by the group revealed that tunnelling could be carried out through the lower chalk stratum, geological sediment formed millions of years ago.

The layer is less likely to fracture and collapse and contains clay that prevents penetration of groundwater. The project was officially launched in but abandoned in due to the fuel crisis. It was revived in and tenders were invited for construction of Chunnel. In the same year, the Eurotunnel Group was established to execute the project. The engineering, construction, procurement and project management services contract was awarded to Bechtel.

A total of 11 tunnel boring machines, each weighing approximately t, were used to dig the tunnels. Following official inauguration in May , first commercial services through the tunnel started in June The tunnel below the Strait of Dover consists of two rail tunnels and one service tunnel, each 50km in length. The two rail tunnels have a diameter of 7. The service tunnel, with a diameter of 4.

The multifunctional service tunnel is used in case of emergencies and enables personnel to quickly reach the scene of an accident. Each rail tunnel contains a single track, overhead catenary and two walkways, which are used for emergency evacuation. The overhead catenary provides traction power to the trains. An undersea crossover is also provided in each tunnel, enabling trains to pass from one tunnel to another during maintenance operations. Electricity is supplied to the trains, tunnels, lighting and drainage pumps by two MW substations on both sides of the tunnel.

If one substation breaks down, the other can provide electricity to the entire system. The high, medium and low voltage supply requirements of the tunnel are met by secondary substations. Two terminals, at Coquelles and Folkestone, connect the rail system to other road and rail networks.

Each electric locomotive is m-long and features three bogies with two motorised axles. Each shuttle operating in the tunnel is fitted with two locomotives on each side to complete the journey in case one of the locomotives breaks down. They help us to identify the pages visited most or least and to see how visitors navigate around the website, and they reveal any problems that occur when browsing our website. All information collected by these Google Analytics cookies is aggregated and therefore anonymised, so we cannot use it to track individual users.

Getlink uses essential cookies to make its website work and would like to use statistics cookies only to optimise the performance and functionalities of its website and measure traffic. To set up cookies, turn them on or off. For more information, click on Cookies policy and the privacy notice for Getlink website. A unique infrastructure in the world. The cross-Channel Fixed Link is the only way to cross the stretch of water between Great Britain and continental Europe in total safety, days a year, 24 hours a day.

The tunnels The infrastructure The Channel Tunnel is the longest undersea tunnel in the world: its section under the sea is 38km long. High-tech and fully-connected equipments Fully connected from its construction, the Channel Tunnel comprises more than 36, state-of-the-art and other systems installed in the three tunnels and linked to many equipments.

Principal items of the fixed equipment Mechanical equipment in the tunnels km of pipes 2 ventilation systems 1 cooling system with the two cooling plants at Shakespeare Cliff and Sangatte 1 drainage system with 6 pumping stations 1 fire main, with 2 huge reservoirs at each end and their pumping stations cross-passage doors and the giant cross-over doors Track and catenaries km of track, including km in the tunnels and points, including 4 cross-overs km of catenary cables.

Electricity supply 2 substations connected to the British and French grids to supply the 25,volts for the traction and the 21,volts three-phase for other fixed equipment secondary substations high, medium and low voltage supply , km of supporting structures and more than 1,km of cables in the tunnels 20, lighting fixtures.

The Channel Tunnel infrastructure. Two monodirectional single-track rail tunnels. The service tunnel lies between the two rail tunnels. Two cross-overs at 7km off the English coast and 13km off the French coast. The Folkestone and Coquelles terminals Covering an area of hectare and km long perimeter, the Coquelles terminal, near Calais, is one of the largest land-travel complexes in Europe the equivalent in size to an international airport.

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Allow all cookies Deny all cookies Manage cookies. Regulatory discrepancy is minimised in the case of the Channel Tunnel due to the application by both countries of relevant EU legislation even after Brexit. Rules and procedures are harmonised as part of implementing common EU legislation and under the regulatory role of the IGC. After Brexit, the UK will introduce import controls on EU goods at the border after the transition period ends on 31 December Immigration control will continue to be performed on the way from France to the UK due to the UK not being in the Schengen area.

Being composed of key government officials, the IGC is directly involved in the process of coordinating the transition following Brexit. At the time of this writing, an agreement between the UK and the EU has not yet been found to resolve the situation. Technical standards for the Channel Tunnel relate mostly to safety and interoperability.

For example, shorter tunnels may more easily prescribe that trains which have an incident must run out of the tunnel and be repaired outside the tunnel. Due to the length of the Channel Tunnel, an internal firefighting system was built in four places in the tunnel, going beyond standard TSIs. Arbitration has occurred twice in the history of the Channel Tunnel.

The first arbitration case occurred during project development and related to the rising costs of construction, which led TML to launch a claim to the International Chamber of Commerce ICC in Brussels, as foreseen by the construction contract, for additional construction costs of GBP1.

As TML was threatening to suspend work unless its claim was met, Eurotunnel applied to the English court for an interim injunction to restrain TML from carrying its threat. However, this injunction was rejected, as all the parties had agreed to go to arbitration abroad in their contract. The management of the Channel Tunnel is held accountable by means of transparent reporting of related activities.

Project timeline Development History of the project The idea of a tunnel under the English Channel has a long history, with the first proposal dating back to , and several others following over subsequent years. Policy and planning setting The Channel Tunnel was approved with the signature of the Treaty of Canterbury signed by the French and UK Governments on 12 February , which authorised the construction of the Fixed Link as a concession without any public financing or guarantees.

Alternative options considered In , a call for proposals received several submissions of varying designs. Four were shortlisted: Euroroute, a hybrid solution of a bridge-tunnel- bridge GBP4. Long-term benefits The Channel Tunnel project has driven transport infrastructure improvements of the road and rail networks in France and the UK that connect to, and are associated with, the tunnel.

Procuring and financing Procurement process The project was procured using an open form of tendering. Financial structure The Treaty of Canterbury and the Concession Agreement established that the project would be entirely financed, delivered and operated by the private sector.

Currency risk and credit ratings Due to the cross-border nature of the project between two countries with different currencies the French franc and, since , the Euro in France, and the pound sterling in the UK , Eurotunnel has structured its debt and established its operations in both currencies to mitigate currency fluctuations.

Harmonisation of rules, procedures, and technical standards Technical standards for the Channel Tunnel relate mostly to safety and interoperability. Arbitration issues Arbitration has occurred twice in the history of the Channel Tunnel. Accountability The management of the Channel Tunnel is held accountable by means of transparent reporting of related activities. This monitoring is conducted by railway undertakings and in collaboration with Eurotunnel.

Conclusion Political will — The Channel Tunnel could be realised thanks to strong political will from both the French and UK Governments wishing to build a fixed link between the UK and the rest of Europe.