Eurotunnel (under the English Channel): idea, construction, incidents, interesting facts and significance. From the UK to Belgium by Eurostar train through the Channel Tunnel How long is the Channel Tunnel
The Thames, on which the English capital London stands, was a left tributary, on the banks of which lies the German River. When they melted, sea levels rose, and vast areas became the bottom of the English Channel. Britain became an island. However, the idea of reconnecting the two most important parts of Europe by land has long been the cherished dream of the inhabitants of the Old World.
For two centuries, scientists have been developing different ways to overcome the English Channel. The tunnel project was first proposed more than 100 years ago, in 1802. Albert Mathieu proposed a project for crossing the English Channel, and the next year a similar plan arose on the other side, in England. True, at that time they were more inclined to build a bridge that would pass over the strait. This gigantic structure was supposed to consist of five-kilometer spans suspended above the sea on heavy-duty cables. The idea was rejected - such gigantic bridges had never been built before, and experts doubted: would the structure be reliable? There were also completely unusual proposals. For example, about erecting artificial islands throughout the entire strait, and from these islands stretching bridges that connect with each other. But this was an even more unrealistic project. It was decided to stop at building an underground road.
The idea of building a road leading from France to England had many opponents. Many people said that in the event of a war between two countries, this tunnel could be used against the enemy. However, even then this objection was considered absurd. After all, if there is a threat of attack, it is very easy to quickly block the tunnel by blowing up or filling up even a small part of it. And the troops at the exit of the tunnel are more of a convenient target than a formidable force.
For a long time everything remained at the level of projects and plans. They started thinking seriously about building a tunnel only in 1955. They even started construction and started digging pits. However, nothing came of this venture. Two years later, the energy crisis forced workers and engineers to abandon the dug pits, which quickly filled with rainwater. Only 11 years later, the governments of England and France announced that they were ready to again consider the possibility of a land connection between the two. But with one condition - all work must be carried out by private companies at their own expense.
9 of the best projects were selected, and for a whole year there was serious debate about which one deserved more attention. A year later, according to the majority, the best was chosen. It was supposed to lay railway tracks and highways for cars next to each other. However, the road under the strait had to be abandoned. First, a car accident in a tunnel is much more likely than a train crash. But the consequences of such an accident in a long underground “pipe” can be serious and paralyze traffic for a long time. Secondly, an armada of cars rushing into the tunnel would inevitably fill it with exhaust fumes, which means a very powerful ventilation system would be required to constantly clean the air. Well, thirdly, it is known that traveling in a tunnel tires the driver. We decided to go with the design, which was described in the 1960 project and finalized in the mid-70s.
Work began on the English coast in December 1987, and on the French coast three months later. Huge machines with rotating cutting heads laid a kilometer a month. In total, the construction of the tunnel took three years.
The tunnels were laid, on average, 45 meters below the seabed. When the two halves of the service tunnel were separated by only 100 meters, a small tunnel was dug by hand to connect them. Until the moment of docking, 120 mine locomotives removed rock from the faces, monthly traveling a distance equal to two distances around the earth. The workers met at the end of 1990.
The completion of the two railway tunnels took place on June 28, 1991. However, do not think that the construction was completely completed. Only the central tunnel was completed. And it was still necessary to dig a second, service tunnel, and also lay rails. More than 2,000 companies took part in the international competition for the right to receive an order for rails for the strait. French customers preferred those made in Russia.
The tunnel was completely opened relatively recently - on May 6, 1994. Queen Elizabeth II herself and President Mitterrand took part in its opening. After the ceremonial part, the Queen took the train and arrived from London Waterloo station to the town of Calais on the French coast. In turn, Mitterrand arrived there from the Gare do Nord station in Paris via Lille. As the locomotives of the two trains stopped nose to nose, the two heads of state cut the blue, white and red ribbons to the sounds of their countries' national anthems, which were performed by the band of the French Republican Guard. Then the British and French delegations in Rolls-Royce cars crossed the tunnel to the British coast, to the town of Folkestone, where exactly the same ceremony took place as on the French side.
Features of the Channel Tunnel
In reality, there are three tunnels: two railway tunnels (one receives trains from France to England, the other from England to France) and one performs operational functions. Currently, this is the fastest route from London to Paris or (about 3). Passenger trains depart regularly from London Waterloo and take you to Paris's Gare du Nord or Brussels' Midi-Zuid.
The diameter of each tunnel is 7.3 meters, the length is about 50 kilometers, of which 37 pass under the water column. All tunnels are clad in dense concrete frames, the walls of which are about 40 centimeters.
Special trains with platforms for cars and carriages for passengers depart every hour. In total, 350 electric locomotives pass through the tunnel per day, which makes it possible to transport more than 200,000 tons of cargo. Cars use the tunnel trains as a moving highway. They enter the carriage at one end and exit at the other after a 35-minute journey. Electric locomotives reach speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour.
There are many incidents associated with the Channel Tunnel. For example, on October 12, 2003, an unknown person was discovered there who lived in a tunnel for ... 2 years, occasionally coming to the surface to stock up on food and water. It is strange that it was not discovered earlier, since a system of internal surveillance cameras is stretched along the entire length of the tunnel.
The following year, an emergency occurred: an employee of the English branch of Eurostar discovered 15 people on the railway tracks. Some of them were wounded, one very seriously. According to a British police spokesman, illegal immigrants (presumably Turks) were most likely found in the tunnel. Apparently, intending to get to England, they climbed into one of the carriages of the freight train while still on the mainland, and then jumped off while moving in the place where the train slows down a little at the exit of the tunnel.
However, such violations are suppressed. For this purpose, there is a serious security service working 24 hours a day.
The entire project cost £10 billion - twice as much as planned. A year after its official opening, Eurotunnel announced losses of £925 million - one of the biggest negative amounts in British corporate history. Additionally, in 1996, freight traffic through the tunnel was suspended for 6 months due to a fire caused by a truck that caught fire.
Although the tunnel project was very expensive and the costs have not yet been recouped, the structure still represents an example of modern engineering excellence, taking safety and functionality into account in equal measure.
Eurotunnel, Channel Tunnel(French tunnel sous la Manche, English Channel Tunnel, also sometimes simply Eurotunnel listen)) is a double-track railway tunnel approximately 51 km long, of which 39 km pass under the English Channel. Connects continental Europe with the UK by rail. Thanks to the tunnel, it became possible to visit London from Paris in just 2 hours 15 minutes; In the tunnel itself, trains take from 20 to 35 minutes. It was inaugurated on May 6, 1994.
The Eurotunnel is the third longest railway tunnel in the world. The longer ones are the Seikan Tunnel (length 53.85 km) and the Gotthard Tunnel (length 57.1 km). However, the Eurotunnel holds records for its length under water - 39 km (for comparison, the underwater segment of Seikan is 23.3 km), as well as for being the longest international tunnel.
The Eurotunnel operator is Eurostar.
History of origin
The idea of building a tunnel under the English Channel arose at the end of the 18th - beginning of the 19th century in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region.
According to the project, the tunnel was supposed to connect two cities: Calais on the French side and Folkestone on the English side (this route is not the shortest possible). It was supposed to dig in an easily pliable chalk geological layer, so the tunnel had to run deeper than planned, about 50 meters below the bottom of the strait, and the southern part should run deeper than the northern one. Because of this, the French first had to build a shaft 50 m in diameter and 60 m deep to reach the sandstone.
Construction
During operation, these machines simultaneously reinforced the walls with concrete segments, forming one and a half meter rings encircling the tunnel shaft. Each ring required an average of 50 minutes to install. British machines on average drilled about 150 meters per week, while French ones - 110 due to different machine designs and drilling conditions.
A laser positioning system was used to accurately align the tunnel parts under construction. Thanks to this system, both sides met at the intended point on December 1, 1990, at a depth of 40 meters from the bottom of the strait. The error was 0.358 meters horizontally and 0.058 meters vertically. In total, the British side completed 84 km of tunnel, and the French side - 69 km. British and French drillers did the last meters of the tunnel manually - using picks and shovels. After this, the main tunnels were connected and the British tunneling shields were taken to underground depots, and the French ones were dismantled and removed from the tunnel.
To guide the machines, the operator looked at computer screens and video monitors. Before the tunnel work began, satellite observatories helped calculate the exact path in every detail. Thin drills were used to probe samples of lime clay, showing which direction to go for more than 150 meters. A laser beam directed at a light-sensitive point on the combine helped the driver choose the right direction.
6-8 km from the coast, tunneling machines built passages under the English Channel, along which, when necessary, trains could be transferred from one tunnel to another. Every 375 meters, teams of tunnelers, equipped with small-sized equipment, laid passages to connect the main tunnels with service ones.
Pressure reduction channels were installed in the arch above the service tunnel, which connected the two main tunnels.
The project was completed in 7 years by 13 thousand workers and engineers.
Safety system
The Eurotunnel consists of three tunnels - two main ones, with a track for trains traveling north and south, and one small service tunnel. The service tunnel has passages every 375 meters that connect it with the main ones. It is designed for access to the main tunnels of maintenance personnel and emergency evacuation of people in case of danger.
Every 250 meters, both main tunnels are connected to each other by a special ventilation system located on top of the service tunnel. This airlock system eliminates the piston effect generated by moving trains by distributing air flows into an adjacent tunnel.
All three tunnels have two interchanges, allowing trains to move freely between the tunnels.
Transport system
TGV line built for Eurotunnel LGV Nord Europe, thanks to which you can get from Paris to London in 2 hours 15 minutes.
Eurostar trains travel through the tunnel itself in 20 minutes, and Shuttle trains in 35 minutes.
There are four types of trains on the Eurotunnel line:
- TGV Eurostar high-speed passenger trains operating between London St Pancras railway station, Paris Gare du Nord ( Gare du Nord) and Midi/Zuid station in Brussels with stops in Ashford, Calais and Lille.
- passenger shuttle trains Eurotunnel Shuttle transporting buses, cars and vans between Sangatte and Folkestone. Thanks to a special loading system, the entire process of entering a car into a carriage takes no more than eight minutes, while passengers remain inside their cars.
- freight trains Eurotunnel Shuttle with open cars in which trucks are transported, while the drivers themselves ride in a separate car.
- freight trains. These trains can carry a variety of cargo and containers between mainland Europe and the UK.
Emergencies
The Eurotunnel's security system has been tested eight times in real emergency situations.
November 18, 1996
The first fire occurred in the tunnel - a shuttle train carrying trucks caught fire. 34 people from the burning train, mostly car drivers, were evacuated into the service tunnel by the arriving French rescue service. Eight victims were taken out of the tunnel in ambulances. The rest were evacuated by another train traveling in the opposite direction. The fire brigade put out the fire for several hours, battling low water pressure in the fire extinguishing system, a strong draft in the ventilation and high temperatures.
200 meters of the tunnel were seriously damaged, another 200 meters were partially damaged. Some sections of the tunnel were burned through 50 mm (the thickness of the concrete ring enclosing the tunnel is 450 mm). The last cars and locomotive of the train were completely disabled.
All victims subsequently fully recovered. There were no casualties, mainly due to the design of the tunnel and the coordinated work of the security services of France and Great Britain.
The Eurotunnel was reopened three days later, on November 21, but only one tunnel was open and only for freight trains: safety rules prohibited passenger transportation during emergencies. They were resumed only on December 4th. The Eurotunnel became fully operational on January 7, 1997.
October 10, 2001
One of the trains suddenly stopped in the middle of the tunnel. Panic arose among the passengers, many were susceptible to attacks of claustrophobia. People spent about five hours underground until they were evacuated through a service tunnel.
August 21, 2006
One of the trucks transported by the shuttle train caught fire. Traffic through the tunnel was suspended for several hours.
September 11, 2008
A fire occurred in the French section of the tunnel - in one of the carriages of a freight train traveling from Great Britain to France. The train was transporting trucks. There were 32 people in it: mostly drivers accompanying their cars. All people were evacuated. As a result of the fire, 14 people were hospitalized, suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning or receiving minor injuries during the evacuation. The tunnel continued to burn all night and even in the morning. In the UK, Kent saw huge traffic jams as police blocked roads to prevent vehicles from driving close to tunnel entrances.
After this accident, traffic in the tunnel was fully restored only on February 23, 2009.
December 18, 2009
Due to the failure of the tunnel's power supply system as a result of a sharp temperature change and snowfall in northern France, five trains stopped in the tunnel.
The breakdowns occurred due to the fact that the trains were not ready for operation in winter conditions; their conductive lines and undercar space were not sufficiently protected. Eurostar noted that all trains undergo annual maintenance taking into account cold weather, but the measures taken were not enough.
January 7, 2010
A Eurostar passenger train carrying 260 passengers from Brussels to London was stuck in the Channel Tunnel for two hours. Teams of specialists were sent to the train, as well as an auxiliary locomotive, which took the faulty train in tow. Representatives of the Eurotunnel company stated that the cause of the breakdown of the train was snow. It got into the train's electrical equipment compartments and melted after entering the tunnel.
March 27, 2014
Train traffic through the tunnel was disrupted due to a fire in a building located next to the entrance to the tunnel on the British side. Four Eurostar trains were returned to their departure points in London, Paris and Brussels. The cause of the incident was a lightning strike. There were no casualties.
January 17, 2015
Train traffic was stopped due to a truck that caught fire in a tunnel near the entrance to it from France. All trains that entered the line were returned to the stations due to smoke. There were no casualties.
This was the fourth time since the start of operation of the Eurotunnel that it was closed due to trucks catching fire on the train platform.
Illegal immigrants
The tunnel has become a relatively easy way for illegal immigrants to enter the UK, where social policy is favorable to visiting foreigners.
On the night of 28–29 July 2015, approximately two thousand immigrants attempted to enter the UK illegally from France through the tunnel. This incident was the largest attempt by illegal migrants to cross the English Channel to enter the UK illegally. According to TASS [ ], in the vicinity of Calais, about 10 thousand immigrants were camped, hoping to illegally cross into the UK.
Financial performance indicators
The contribution of private funding to such a complex project was impressive. £45 million was raised through CTG/F-M, £770 million through a public offering, £206 million from private institutional investors and a syndicated bank loan of up to £5 billion. The estimated cost of the project in 1985 was £2.6 billion. By the end of construction, actual costs amounted to £4.65 billion due to increased safety and environmental requirements for the tunnel [ ] . According to other estimates, a total of about £10 billion was spent on the Eurotunnel (adjusted for inflation).
The Eurotunnel is a grandiose project of the 20th century, which has not yet paid off financially.
On 8 April 2008, Eurotunnel announced an annual profit for the first time in its existence (since 1986), made possible by a large-scale debt restructuring program. The company reported a net profit of one million euros ($1.6 million) for 2007.
In 2008, Eurotunnel operator Eurostar managed to make a profit of 40 million euros.
In 2009, the company paid dividends for the first time since its founding.
In 2010, Eurostar's loss amounted to 58 million euros, which was caused, among other things, by the consequences of the global economic crisis.
In 2011, the company, according to BBC News, made a profit of 11 million euros, passenger traffic reached a record 19 million people, on the stock market a Eurostar share cost 6.53 euros, and dividends amounted to 0.08 euros per share.
On the night of December 2-3, 1994, a group of professional and semi-professional cyclists led by Henri Sannier rode through the tunnel. This was the first official passage of cyclists through the entire tunnel.
Eurotunnel - (French tunnel sous la Manche, English Channel Tunnel or simply EuroTunnel) is a railway tunnel, about 51 km long, of which 39 km pass under the English Channel. The structure, opened on May 6, 1994, was declared one of the Seven Modern Wonders of the World by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
The Channel Tunnel links Folkestone, Kent in England with Coquelles near Calais in northern France under the English Channel in the Strait of Dover. The lowest point is 75 m. The English Channel Tunnel has the longest section laid under the sea in the world. In general, the largest is the Seikan Tunnel in Japan, its length is 53.85 kilometers and its depth is 240 meters. The tunnel is traversed by Eurostar high-speed passenger trains, as well as ro-ro trains, the world's largest international freight trains.
The idea of creating a tunnel appeared back in 1802, but the first real project was proposed a century and a half later; construction began in 1988, and it was opened only in 1994. The total cost exceeded expectations by 80%, in addition, concessionaires from Eurotunnel (Eurotunnel) overestimated the potential traffic and therefore faced financial difficulties. Fires interrupted the tunnel's operation several times. Illegal immigrants and adventurers used the tunnel to enter the UK, forming a queue outside the Sangatte refugee camp, which was forced to close in 2002.
Eleven drilling machines from France and Britain were digging through layers of clay to dig two railway tunnels and a service tunnel. Car terminals are located at Sheriton (part of Folkestone) and Cockels and have links to British and French motorways.
Proposals for the creation of communication routes across the English Channel date back to Albert Metier's 1802 plan, according to which crews would move along an artificial bridge under the canal. For 150 years, the British government blocked all initiatives of this kind. In 1974, the French and British governments began construction of a tunnel at both ends, but the project was stopped by the British government due to financial problems. In 1985, the French and British governments paved the way for a new attempt. Eurotunnel, a group consisting of 10 construction companies and 5 banks, received the right to build the tunnel, or rather, to continue the project in 1974. Work began in 1988 and was completed in 1994. At 1985 prices The whole project cost £4,650 million (£10,153 taking into account inflation for 2007), the financial plan was exceeded by 80%. At the height of construction, 15,000 people were involved in the work at a time, costing about £3 million per day. Ten workers, including eight Britons, were killed during construction between 1987 and 1993, most in the early months.
The tunnel is used by three services: Eurotunnel Shuttle (originally Le Shuttle), ro-ro ships, including cargo ones; Eurostar passenger trains; and freight trains.
Eurotunnel's traffic estimate turned out to be overestimated, so the group of companies experienced some financial difficulties. In 1996, 2006 and 2008 freight trains started several fires, closing the tunnel for periods of time, although no one was seriously injured in any of the incidents. Five years after the opening, the financial situation remained almost unchanged, and therefore it was difficult to make any changes to the design. In 1996, the American Society of Civil Engineers, with the participation of Popular Mechanics, named the tunnel one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World.
Suggestions and attempts
In 1955, arguments about the need to protect the country seemed irrelevant due to the development of air transport. The British and French governments supported technical and geological research.
Construction work began on both banks of the canal in 1974; two tunnels were provided, one of them a service tunnel, where commuter cars could travel. In January 1975, to the disappointment of the French partners, the British government canceled the project. The fact is that the Labor Party came to power with doubts about entry into the EU, the growing cost of the project (up to 200%) and problems in the national economy. By that time, the British company TBM was ready to work, and the Ministry of Transport was ready to finance 300 experimental meters. However, representatives of the British side soon abandoned this short tunnel.
In 1979, the “Mouse-hole Project” was proposed for consideration by the Conservative Party, which came to power in Great Britain. His concept is the only railway tunnel with a service tunnel, but without terminals at the exits. The British government stated that it was not interested in this project, but Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher said that if this project was private, no questions would arise. In 1981, British and French leaders Margaret Thatcher and François Mitterrand agreed to create a working group as part of a private project and in April 1985 the process of reviewing the design of the future tunnel took place. The following were submitted for consideration:
- Railway plan based on the 1975 project Channel Tunnel Group/France-Manche, abbreviated CTG/F-M
- Eurobridge - a 4.5 km long bridge in the shape of a pipe
- Euroroute - a 21 km long tunnel between artificial islands, which, in turn, were planned to be reached by bridges
- Channel Expressway is a wide tunnel with ventilation towers in the middle of the channel.
The protesters united in a company called Flexilink. In 1975, no protest campaign was organized; the state owner was one of the largest railway companies, Sealink. Flexilink continued its opposition activities in 1986-1987. At the same time, public opinion unanimously supported the project, but safety issues, in particular various incidents, caused fear, which led to the reduction of the list of candidates for work on the project to a single company, CTG/F-M.
Organization
The Channel Tunnel Group includes two banks and five construction companies, while its French counterpart, France-Manche, has three banks and five construction companies. The role of banks is to provide financing advice and secure loans. On July 2, 1985, the groups merged as Channel Tunnel Group/France-Manche, CTG/F-M. Their design was based on the 1975 plans and also highlighted the environmental side of the project.
The construction and decoration were entirely carried out by ten construction companies of the CTG/F-M group. The French terminal and the section to Sungate were developed by five French construction companies united in the GIE Transmanche Construction group. The English Terminal and the section to Shakespeare's Cliff were developed by five English construction companies as part of the Trankslink Joint Venture. The two companions were linked by TransManche Link (TML), a French-English organization. The Maître d'Oeuvre is an engineering company hired by Eurotunnel to oversee the development of the project and report to governments and banks.
In France, with a long tradition of investing in infrastructure, the project received widespread approval and the French National Assembly funded the project in April 1987, followed by the Senate in June 1987. In the UK, select committees examined the proposal outside Westminster, in Kent. In February 1987, the Channel Tunnel project had its third reading and was approved by 94 votes to 22 against. The Channel Tunnel Act became British law in July. The BOOT Channel Tunnel project was accepted. TML will build and design the tunnel, but the financing was provided through a separately registered entity: Eurotunnel. CTG/F-M became part of the Eurotunnel and signed a contract with TML; however, the British and French governments monitored the progress of work and the level of safety of the process. The British and French governments gave Eurotunnel a 55 (later 65) year loan to pay off its debts and pay dividends. A Railway Usage Agreement was signed between the Eurotunnel, British Rail and the Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Français, guaranteeing future income in exchange for the railways taking up half of the tunnel .
Private investment has reached unprecedented levels. The initial sum of £45 million raised by CTG/F-M was increased by £206 from private proceeds, a further £770 million was added after the involvement of press and television, and the syndicate bank arranged a loan of £5 million. Overall, all private investment at 1985 prices amounted to £2,600 million. By 1994 costs in 1985 prices were £4,650, or 80% more. This was partly due to problems with increasing safety and environmental requirements. The final amount exceeded the planned amount by 140%.
Progress
The Eurotunnel completed the project on time and the tunnel was opened by Queen Elisabeth II and French President François Mitterrand in Calais on May 6, 1994. The Queen traveled through the tunnel to Calais on the Eurostar train, which was nose-to-nose with President Mitterrand's train from Paris. As part of the ceremony, President Mitterrand and the Queen traveled on Le Shuttle to a similar event in Folkestone. The Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL), today called High Speed 1, extends 111 km from St Pancras railway station in London to the Channel Tunnel in Folkestone in Kent. Its cost is £5.8 million. On 16 September 2003, British Prime Minister Tony Blair opened the first section of Expressway 1, from Folkestone to north Kent. On 6 November 2007, the Queen officially opened Expressway 1 at St Pancras International Station, replacing the conventional rail line to Waterloo International Station. Express Line 1 trains travel at speeds of up to 300 km/h, traveling from London to Paris in 2 hours 15 minutes, and from London to Brussels in 1 hour 51 minutes.
Usage and flights
The number of passengers and cargo transported increases every year. The number of cargo flights fell in 1996-1997. due to a fire in November 1996 at the British terminal at Cheriton in west Folkestone. Terminal services are connected to the M20 motorway. The White Horse at Folkestone is the last thing passengers in England see when they board a train at Cheriton. Services offered by the tunnel:
- Eurotunnel Shuttle (originally Le Shuttle) - road for ro-ro cruisers
- Eurostar passenger trains
- Freight trains
Traffic on both cargo and passenger flights was initially overestimated, although Eurotunnel carefully calculated future fees. Although traffic in canal areas (close to sea and air) was predicted correctly, high competition and reduced traffic resulted in lower revenues. IN
Passenger traffic volume
Passenger traffic peaked at 18.4 million in 1998, then fell to 14.9 million in 2003 and rose again to 16.1 million in 2008. When it was decided to build the tunnel, it was estimated that 15.9 million passengers would use Eurostar trains in the first year after opening. In 1995 - its first full year - the number of passengers slightly exceeded 2.9 million, reaching 7.1 million by 2000 and falling again to 6.3 million in 2003. However, Eurostar was also limited by a lack of expressways In Great Britain. After the opening of Expressway 1 (originally CTRL) to London in two stages - in 2003 and 2007. — traffic has increased again. In 2008, Eurostar carried 9,113,371 passengers through the Channel Tunnel, 10% more than last year, despite the 2008 fire.
Freight traffic volume
Freight traffic volumes are volatile, falling sharply in 1997 due to a freight train fire. Since then, the volume has been growing, the tunnel has proven its competitiveness with the sea. Traffic volumes are now almost identical to Eurotunnel predictions in the 1980s, but calculations in 1990 and 1994 turned out to be overestimated. In the first year, freight train traffic was expected to be 7.2 million tons, but in 1995 this figure stood at 1.3 million tons. The maximum volume of transportation was recorded in 1998 - 3.1 million tons. However, due to unresolved issues, this figure returned to 1.21 million tons in 2007, adding slightly to 2008's 1.24 million tons. However, taking into account suburban cargo flights, a gradual and constant increase in traffic can be traced, from 6.4 million tons in 1995, to 18.4 million tons in 2003 and 19.6 million tons in 2007. Eurotunnel's subsidiary is Europorte 2. In September 2006, EWS, Britain's largest rail operator, announced it would end French-English government subsidies of £52 million to cover the Channel Tunnel's "Minimum User Charge" (subsidy of approximately £13,000 per train with 4,000 trains per year), freight trains will stop operating from November 30.
Economic situation
Eurotunnel shares were issued at £3.50 per share on 9 December 1987. By mid-1989 the price had risen to £11.00. Delays and exceeding the planned cost of the facility “dropped” the value of shares; During the demonstrations in October 1994, the share price reached its lowest level. Eurotunnel delayed payments in September 1995, fearing bankruptcy. In December 1997, the British and French governments extended the loan term by 34 years until 2086. Financial restructuring of Eurotunnel in mid-1998 reduced the debt and financial burden. However, despite the restructuring, The Economist stated in 1998 that Eurotunnel would have to increase prices, traffic and stock to survive the period. An analysis of the costs and benefits of the Channel Tunnel showed that the British economy fared better if the Tunnel had not been built. As part of the same Project, Eurotunnel was obliged to study the possibility of building an additional tunnel. In December 1999, designs for a conventional tunnel and a railway tunnel were submitted to the British and French governments, but it was decided that the design did not meet the requirements for a second tunnel. A tripartite agreement between Great Britain, France and Belgium defined the boundaries and zones where representatives of other countries could perform certain duties. For greater convenience, these powers are distributed at the ends of the tunnel, for example, a French post at the British exit from the tunnel and a British post at the French one. For some trains, the train itself is the control area. The French-English emergency plan coordinates the actions of British and French services.
Fires
There were three fires in the tunnel, due to which it had to be closed, all cases occurred on heavy freight trains.
1996
On November 18, 1996, a freight car caught fire, but no one was seriously injured. The exact cause is unknown, but the accident was not due to Eurotunnel equipment or problems with the rails; Arson may have been the cause. During the fire, temperatures were estimated to reach 1,000 °C (1,800 °F), and a 46-meter (151-foot) section of the tunnel was partially damaged, and a 500-meter (500-meter) section was also damaged to some extent. All flights resumed in full six months after the fire.
2006
The tunnel was closed for several hours on August 21, 2006, when the contents of one of the freight trains caught fire.
2008
On 11 September 2008, the Channel Tunnel fire started at 13:57 GMT. The incident occurred on a freight train heading to France 11 kilometers from the French exit from the tunnel. No one was killed, but several people were taken to the hospital suffering from strangulation and minor injuries. The tunnel was closed to all traffic; the undamaged South Tunnel reopened two days later. On February 9, 2009, renovations were estimated at €60 million.
Impact on regions
A 1996 European Commission report stated that Kent and north Calais could face a significant increase in traffic as a result of increased traffic in the Tunnel. In Kent, high speed rail is set to solve this problem. Regional development in Kent is accelerated by the tunnel's proximity, but limited by its proximity to London. It is mainly the traditional industry that benefits, and in general this benefit depends on the development of the international passenger station in Ashford, without which Kent would gradually find itself in the territory of a growing London. Nord-Pas-de-Calais enjoys the powerful effect caused by the proximity of the tunnel, thanks to which a great leap has been made in the manufacturing industry. Relieving congestion through projects such as the Channel Tunnel does not necessarily result in economic benefits for surrounding regions; the fact that these regions have high-speed transport and are actively involved in political activities is much more important for their development. The south-west of England likely benefits evolutionarily and socially from the proximity of fast and cheaper transport to mainland Europe, but this benefit is limited to some parts of the region. In general, the environmental impact of the tunnel is negative. Five years after the tunnel's opening, there has been little impact on the economy, making it difficult to associate major changes with the tunnel's arrival.
Homeless people and immigrants
Illegal immigrants and house seekers used the tunnel to enter Britain. By 1997, the problem had attracted the attention of the international press and the French Red Cross opened a center for immigrants in Santgate in 1999, using a warehouse that existed during the tunnel's construction; by 2002 it was holding up to 1,500 people at a time, most of them trying to enter the UK. On the one hand, most of them came from Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran, but Africa and Eastern Europe were also represented, albeit to a lesser extent. Most of those who arrived here traveled by freight train, and the rest by Eurostar trains. Although the tunnel was guarded and it was believed that it was impossible to penetrate there, emigrants even jumped from bridges onto moving trains. In several cases, people were injured during their journey through the tunnel; others were hidden among equipment, causing delays and sometimes even repairs. Eurotunnel said it was losing £5 million a month due to the problems. Dozens of emigrants died trying to get through the tunnel. In 2001 and 2002 During several demonstrations, groups of emigrants broke into Sagate (up to 550 in December 2001), they attacked the fences and tried to get through en masse. Immigrants also arrived as Eurostar passengers, but without identification documents. Local authorities in France and the UK called for Sungate to be closed, and Eurotunnel was ordered to do so twice. The UK accused France of not adequately policing Sungate, and France accused the UK of not having strict laws for immigrants. This caused other problems, including the detention of journalists. In 2002, after the European Commission failed to declare France that it was breaking EU rules by allowing free movement of goods, and citing delays and closures as a result of insufficient security, a double fence was built at a cost of £5 million, reducing the number of emigrants from 250 a week almost to zero. Other measures include CCTV cameras and increased police patrols. Sungate closed at the end of 2002 after the UK agreed to take in some emigrants.
Engineering
The service tunnel uses the Service Tunnel Transport System (STTS) and Light Service Tunnel Vehicles (LADOGS). Fire protection was a particular area of criticism. Between the entrances at Beussingue and Castle Hill, the tunnel is 50.5 km (31 miles) long, of which 3.3 km underground on the French side, 9.3 km underground on the British side and 37 .9 km underwater. Thus, the English Channel Tunnel is the second railway tunnel in the world, after the Seikan Tunnel in Japan, but the longest underwater section is still at the English Channel. The average depth is 45 meters from the seabed. On the UK side, of the 5 million cubic meters (6.5*106 cubic yards) of excavated earth, 1 million cubic meters was used in the construction of the terminal, the remainder being hauled to Shakespeare's Crag behind the causeway, occupying 30 hectares of land. This land was subsequently used for Samphire Hoe Country Park. The environmental situation did not pose any risks to the project, and subsequent safety, noise and air pollution studies were generally positive. However, the environmental situation was affected by the high-speed line from the tunnel to London.
Research
Measurements of the depth of the strait by Thomas de Gamond in 1833-1867. showed that the maximum is 55 meters, and below there are geological layers. Research continued for many years with 166 offshore and 70 onshore drill holes and 4,000 km of seabed explored. Research was undertaken in 1958-1959, 1964-1965, 1972-1974. and 1986-1988 Research in 1958-1959 required the involvement of a metro and a bridge, as well as a dug area; this entire area was researched. At this time, marine geological research for engineering projects was just in its infancy, and there were no seismic instruments. Study 1964-1965 concentrated in the north on the English coast at Dover Bay, 70 boreholes were drilled into the rock-solid ground south of Dover Bay. After preliminary results and difficulties with access, the territory slightly to the south was explored in 1972-1973, where it was decided to build a tunnel. Other information also came from this research until it was closed in 1975. On the French side at Sungate a large shaft with several galleries was made. On the English side at Shakespeare's Cliff, the government has given permission to dig a 250-metre-diameter tunnel out of 4.5 metres. The modern tunnel was designed in exactly the same way as they tried to do in 1975. During the study in 1986-1997. it was found that 85% of all soil is chalk and limestone. For this purpose, geophysical techniques from the oil industry were used.
Geology
For the successful implementation of the canal tunnel project, a clear understanding of the geology and topography was necessary, as well as proven building materials for finishing the inside of the tunnel. Geological research is mainly in the chalk layer, partly on the spurs of the mountains in Weldon and Boulogne. The following characteristics were given:
- According to Vestegan's observations in 1698, the slopes on both are represented by Cretaceous rocks without significant changes
- The slopes consist of four geological strata, marine sedimentary rocks deposited 90-100 million years ago; the upper and middle chalk layers above the lower chalk layer and finally the waterproof alumina. A sand layer and glauconitic limestone were found between the chalk layer and the clay.
- The 25-30 meter chalk limestone layer (craie bleue in French) at the bottom of the chalk layer was considered the best place to build a tunnel. Chalk contains 30-40% clay, which makes it waterproof and at the same time easy for excavation and powerful without unnecessary support structures. Ideally, the tunnel would have been built 15 meters below the chalk limestone layer, allowing water to flow out of the openings and providing the fewest joints, but above the clay layer the pressure on the tunnel could increase, and high humidity and unpleasant odors were feared. On the English side of the canal the slope is about 5°, but on the French side it is 20°. Small offsets are present on both sides. On the English side the displacements are small, no more than a meter. But on the French side they reach up to 15 meters, to the anticlinal folds. These displacements are limited in width, filled with calcium, pyrite and clay. An increasing slope and some defects limited the choice of route on the French side. To avoid inclusions of other soils, we used special equipment to look for places with chalky limestone soil. On the French side, especially close to the coast, the chalk was harder and finer than on the English side. Therefore, different techniques were used on different banks.
The study did not identify any significant risks, but the Fosse Dangaered underwater valley and Castle Hill were expected to be affected. In 1964-1965 A geophysical survey of Fosse Dangered showed that the length of the valley is 80 meters and it is located 500 meters to the south, approximately in the middle of the channel. A 1986 study showed that underground rivers ran through the area where the tunnel was planned, so it was moved as far down and north as possible. The English Terminal would take place on Castle Hill, which comprises chalk beds, glauconic limestone and alluvial heavy clay. This area was fortified with buttresses and drainage galleries. The service tunnels were pilot projects before the main tunnels were laid in order to have advance knowledge of the geology, areas of eroded rock, and wet areas. Research samples were taken in service tunnels, including above, below and to the sides.
Tunnel
A typical service tunnel between two main railways. The connection between two railway tunnels shown in the diagram is represented by a piston needed to control the pressure changing due to the movement of trains. The tunnel between England and France was the largest project besides the Seikan Tunnel in Japan. The most serious risk facing any underwater tunnel is the proximity of water and its pressure on the tunnel surface. The English Channel Tunnel also had its own problem: since the investors in the project were mainly private companies and entrepreneurs, it was necessary to implement it as quickly as possible and pay off the lenders. The goal was to build: two railway tunnels with a diameter of 7.6 meters, 30 meters apart, 50 km long; a service tunnel with a diameter of 4.8 meters between the two main tunnels; pairs of perpendicular tunnels with a diameter of 3.3 meters connecting the railway tunnels with the service tunnel over a space of 375 meters; auxiliary 2-meter pistons connecting railway tunnels every 250 meters; two underwater caves connected to railway tunnels. The service tunnel was always built at least 1 km faster in order to become familiar with the composition of the soil; in the mining industry it was already necessary to build tunnels through chalk soils. Underwater intersecting caves have become a serious engineering problem. The French Cave was modeled after the Mount Baker Ridge Freeway Tunnel in the United States.
The British Cave was connected to the service tunnel before the main tunnel was built to avoid delays. Prefabricated segmental mounts were used in the TBM main engines, but differently on the French and English sides. On the French side, neoprene fastenings made of reinforced cast iron or reinforced concrete were used. On the English side, speed was preferred and segments were bolted together only where the geology required. The British tunnels used eight fastenings and a key segment, while the French side used five fastenings and a key segment. On the French side, a 55 meter shaft in Sungate with a diameter of 75 meters was used for the descent. On the English side, this site was located 140 meters below the top of Shakespeare's Cliff, where the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM) was first used. On the English side, underground tunnels were built from Shakespeare's Crag, as well as underwater ones, rather than from Folkestone. The platform at the base of the cliff was not large enough, so the excavated earth was placed behind a reinforced concrete dam, but on the condition that the chalk soils were transferred to a closed lagoon to avoid their dispersal. Due to limited space, the prefabricated factory was located on the Isle of Grain in the Thames Estuary. On the French side, due to insufficient soil impermeability, TBMs were used, putting pressure on the post.
The TBMs were hidden for the first 5 kilometers of the route, then they were exposed and rested on the chalky limestone soil. This minimized the pressure on the base of the tunnel and ensured maximum safety from flooding. Such actions on the French side required the involvement of five TBMs: two main sea vehicles, one main land vehicle (the engines allowed the vehicle to move 3 km in one direction, then change it and continue moving in the other direction using a different engine) and two vehicles in the service tunnel.
It seems that the French and English have a penchant for long-term joint projects. There are more than enough examples in history: the Hundred Years' War, which they entered in 1337, lasted for 116 years, the project to create the supersonic Concorde aircraft took two decades. And one of the most ambitious construction projects of the 20th century - the Channel Tunnel - began back in 1881. Then the matter did not move beyond the station facilities, but now many people do not understand how they even managed to get to the British Isles when there was no tunnel.
The British have always been and continue to be proud of their isolation from the rest of Europe. They did not switch to the euro and did not join the European Union. The English approach to integration is perfectly characterized by a story dating back to 1858. That year, the question of building a tunnel across the English Channel was first raised in the English Parliament. Hearing this, Lord Palmerston, at that time the Prime Minister of Great Britain, was indignant: “What? Do you dare ask for money for a cause whose purpose is to shorten a distance that we consider already too short?” Against this background, it seems surprising how the inhabitants of Albion decided to build a tunnel to continental Europe. However, no less striking is the tenacity with which French and English engineers proposed projects for a land connection between the two states: in the period from 1883 to 1941 alone, more than 300 (!) different projects for bridges and tunnels were presented.
Underground Cavalry
The idea of establishing a land connection between the continent and the British Isles was born in the middle of the 18th century, when the University of Amiens announced a competition for the best project to connect the two states. The first real tunnel project dates back to 1802. It was developed by Albert Mathieu. The Frenchman proposed to build a tunnel at a depth of about 10 meters from the bottom of the strait for the movement of horse-drawn carriages, illuminate it with oil lamps, and use special shafts for ventilation, which were supposed to rise five meters above the surface of the water. It is known that Napoleon was familiar with Mathieu's project. Did it interest him? History stores exactly the opposite information. According to one version, the tunnel seemed like a crazy idea to Napoleon. According to another, he personally proposed to the British to connect their countries with an underground road.
International metro
With the rapid development of the railway network in England, the horse-drawn versions of the tunnel were replaced by rail ones. The main promoter of such projects was the French mining engineer Thomas de Gamon in the 19th century. It is known that the Frenchman was so fanatical about connecting the continent with the island that he spent more than 30 years carefully studying seven alternative projects. Among them was such an extravagant connection option as a giant bridge resting on bulk islands. In 1860, the new project for the de Gamon tunnel was approved by Napoleon III and Queen Victoria, but the Frenchman’s dream did not come true - construction did not come to fruition.
In the 1870s, relations between the French and the British warmed sharply. After the defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, the French invited the British to unite to counter a new strong enemy - the German Kaiser. Neighbors began to re-develop the tunnel project.
Victorian engineers achieved great success in tunneling. In 1843, they were the first in the world to construct a tunnel under the Thames with a tunnel shield, and then gained enormous experience in this area during the construction of the world's first London Underground. Therefore, technically, building a tunnel under the English Channel did not pose a big problem. In 1881, two tunneling shields of the company were launched towards each other. Beaumont & English" - the most powerful and technically advanced at that time. In the first year, approximately 2 km of track was dug on both sides: it was expected that the underground meeting of workers would take place in five years. However, in 1883, construction of the Channel Tunnel was stopped. English politicians and journalists increasingly made statements that the tunnel would be a wonderful gift for their potential enemy - in the event of a conflict, the French could easily attack Britain through the tunnel. Until the Second World War, all projects for tunnels or bridges across the English Channel met with severe resistance from the British government. Attitudes towards the project changed only in the mid-1950s.
The tunnel is not so scary...
When the Second World War ended, it became clear that with the advent of new modes of transport and weapons, the tunnel no longer posed a real threat to British defense. This was publicly announced by the UK Ministry of Defense in 1955. Meanwhile, commodity exchange between the island and the continent increased steadily. Therefore, in the summer of 1957, an Anglo-French research group was formed to find out whether it was necessary to connect the two states and, if so, how. By the early 1960s, two alternatives were competing - the tunnel project and the bridge project. According to the first project, it was planned to build a complex railway tunnel under the bottom of the strait, consisting of two working hoses and a service one between them. This project was in competition with the giant bridge project, which was warmly supported by the heads of metallurgical concerns. In the end, the underground project won, but the approval process was delayed. After construction of the tunnel began in 1974, financing problems arose. A year later the project was suspended.
The topic of the tunnel was returned to again only in 1984, when the governments of the two countries announced an open tender for a project that would connect the UK with France. In the fall of 1985, four independent development groups proposed their options.
The most extravagant project was Europont— a 52-kilometer bridge with spans suspended on Kevlar threads. The project was quickly rejected as too expensive and based on as yet untested technology. Another project - Euroroute— proposed a complex system of bridges and tunnels with support points on specially built artificial islands.
Project Channel Expressway It was a two-level tunnel with rail and road connections. Both of these projects were preferred Eurotunnel- the cheapest and easiest to build alternative, which was based on the tunnel concept of the 1970s. According to preliminary calculations of the developers, the implementation of the project Eurotunnel was valued at £5 billion.
However, this amount also seemed too high for the governments of both European countries: in January 1986, Margaret Thatcher and Francois Mitterrand jointly announced that they considered the project too expensive to spend taxpayers' money on.
Rails vs freeway
Project Channel Expressway lost to the project Eurotunnel not only because of the higher cost. It was decided that driving a car through a 50-kilometer tunnel would require a lot of physical and mental stress from drivers, which could lead to stressful situations and accidents. In addition, a more effective solution required the issue of cleaning the tunnel from exhaust gases. The most preferable option is the transportation of cars on electric train platforms.
But such a statement did not mean that the project was postponed again. A way out of the situation was found. We decided to organize an open joint stock company " Eurotunnel", the initial capital of which was to be provided by construction companies with the support of private banks (without state support). The newly formed company had to independently find money for the construction of the tunnel, including through the sale of its shares. As a token of gratitude, she received the right to manage the structure for 55 years. At the end of this period, the tunnel in working order should be handed over to the governments of France and Great Britain.
New story
The further fate of the Channel Tunnel is well known. On December 15, 1987, the first tunneling shield went into operation - it was digging a service tunnel with a diameter of 4.8 m. Then more powerful tunneling machines joined in, digging two main tunnels with a diameter of 7.6 m each. In total, deep in the tunnel, 11 shields worked simultaneously almost without interruption. Three French and three English shields moved towards each other under the bottom of the English Channel. Three more were digging a tunnel deep into the island towards the British terminal, and two were drilling three tunnels towards the French terminal. A 39 km tunnel was dug directly at the bottom of the sea, and its total length was 51 km.
A laser positioning system was used to ensure that both ends met at the same location. Thanks to her, workers from England and France met at the intended point on December 1, 1990, at a depth of 40 m from the bottom of the strait. The error was only 358 mm horizontally and 58 mm vertically. By the way, English and French drillers did the last meters of the tunnel manually - using picks and shovels.
The Eurotunnel was inaugurated by Queen Elizabeth II and François Mitterrand on May 6, 1994. One of humanity's longest projects was completed in just seven years. 13 thousand workers and engineers took part in its creation, and about 10 billion pounds sterling was spent on construction (taking into account inflation, almost twice as much as originally expected). The dream of Tomé de Gamon and hundreds of other project supporters has finally come true!
The grandiose project of the twentieth century has not yet justified itself financially: only in April 2008 the company “ Eurotunnel» announced annual profits for the first time since its inception. A child that has been gestated for a long time, it seems, also has a long payoff...
Illustrations for the article provided by the company Eurotunnel.
English Channel Bridge
This is what the magazine “Science and Life” wrote about the next project of a bridge across the English Channel in No. 1 for 1890.
Without exaggeration, this century can be called the century of gigantic structures, one of which was the Eiffel Tower at the Paris Exhibition. Now a new, even more grandiose and important structure is being prepared - a bridge across the English Channel, dividing France from England. This bridge will be 28 kilometers long (almost the same number of miles).
The question of connecting England with France by bridge or tunnel has arisen for a long time. In 1873, the issue of a Channel Tunnel was seriously raised. All necessary studies have been carried out; the feasibility of the enterprise was fully proven; its benefit for both countries was undoubted; There were also capitalists who provided money for the implementation of the enterprise. The underwater tunnel project, however, failed due to political considerations. Since the ground forces of England are insignificant, there was a fear that troops could be landed through the tunnel to England. Now a project has arisen to connect England with France not under water, but over water through a bridge of unheard-of size.
In England, a company was formed with huge capital " Channel Bridge" Two famous English engineers took on the technical side of the matter: John Fowler ( Fowler) and Benjamin Becker ( Baker) and two famous French ones: Mr. Schneider and Mr. Gersan ( Hersent), managing one of the largest mechanical factories in the world in Creusot. These four engineers carried out all the necessary research and have already developed a detailed design for a bridge across the English Channel.
The bridge is supposed to be built at the narrowest point of the strait, between Gris-Nez(from France) and Foxton (from England). The distance between these two points in a straight line is less than 28 kilometers; but the bridge will make a slight curve to take advantage of two existing shallows (Varnska and Kolbarska banks). On these shallows the sea depth is only 6-7 meters, which will significantly reduce the cost of building abutment towers. The greatest depth of the sea in this direction is 55 meters (27 fathoms) at low tide.
Thus, it is necessary: 1) to build abutments (hereinafter we will call them towers due to their extraordinary size) at great depths; 2) raise the bridge itself so that the largest sea vessels can pass under it. According to the preliminary draft ( Arant-Projet), builders think of achieving it this way.
The towers (abutments) of the bridge will be made of granite with steel fasteners. You can get an idea of the size of these towers from the fact that the largest of them (at a depth of 55 meters) will have a base area of 1604 square meters. Only steel will be used throughout due to its strength. To build the towers, 76,000 tons of steel and 4 million cubic meters of granite will be required. The superstructure of the bridge will also require another 772,000 tons of steel. The total cost of construction is estimated at 860 million francs, but could reach a billion.
The construction of the towers is carried out using iron caissons, from granite blocks held together with steel ties and cement. The stonework rises above the surface of the water by 21 meters at low tide and 14 meters at high tide (the English Channel level fluctuates by 7 meters). Therefore, at a depth of 55 meters, the masonry would be 76 meters high, assuming that the masonry begins directly on the seabed.
The stone towers will each be topped by two steel towers. The latter will be held together by huge steel beams and have a height of 40 meters. The rails will lie another 11 meters higher, so that trains will run at an altitude of 72 meters (about 35 1/2 fathoms) from the surface of the sea (at low tide). But the steel cover goes above the level of the rails by another 54 meters. Thus, the main tower, placed at a depth of 55 meters, will have a total height of 181 meters (90 fathoms), including 76 meters of masonry. The bridge spans in deep places will be alternately 500 and 300 meters; at smaller ones of 350 and 200 meters, also alternately; finally, near the coast the spans will alternate at 250-100 meters. Flights of 500 meters (half a mile) are more difficult than the Eiffel Tower. But technology has made such enormous strides in recent years that the feasibility of this grandiose project is quite and undoubtedly possible.
They drilled through the last obstacle and met in the Channel Tunnel, Frenchman Philip Cosette and Briton Graham Fage. They shook hands and drank champagne over the world's longest underwater tunnel - just over 50 kilometers, 38 of which are laid under the seabed, an average of 45 meters below its level. Years go by. Over time, the tunnel turned from a “miracle of technology” into an unprofitable enterprise, but to this day the technical solutions used in it are considered very successful and progressive.
...The last obstacle was finally overcome, the two ends of the grandiose tunnel connected with each other, and a meeting took place under the English Channel. Representatives of two different nations, a Frenchman and an Englishman, Philip Cosette and Graham Fagh were able to shake hands and solemnly drink a glass of champagne, celebrating the successful completion of construction the longest tunnel in the world today. The total length of the tunnel connecting England and France exceeds fifty kilometers, and 38 of them are directly under the bottom of the strait, this is its most difficult part, it goes underground to a depth of 45 meters.
Quite a few years have passed Channel Tunnel has long been no longer considered a miracle of technology; not only has it ceased to make a profit, even its maintenance is considered very unprofitable. Although the technical and engineering solutions used during its construction are still considered one of the most progressive in the world. The Euro Tunnel connects island Great Britain with the rest of continental Europe, built at the end of the twentieth century, inaugurated on May 6, 1994, the Channel Tunnel is still considered one of the symbols of a united Europe and the globalization of the modern world. Thanks to the American Society of Engineers, the tunnel received the status one of the seven wonders of modern reality.
And almost no one remembers the long development of the idea itself, which first excited the minds of European engineers back at the end of the 18th century. Already in 1802, the idea of connecting the lands of the two states with a single tunnel was expressed by one of the most daring engineers in France, Albert Mathieu-Favier. He also drew up his own project, and the tunnel itself, according to the innovator’s plan, was to be illuminated by the oil lamps used at that time. Albert Mathieu-Favier imagined how it would be possible to travel through the wide tunnel from France to England on carriages drawn by horses, which in the underground space can easily miss each other. And it was planned to ventilate the dungeon using special vents, which were supposed to take air from the sea surface.
Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte liked this idea; during the signing of a peace treaty between previously warring states - France and England, he proposed this project to the English government. But the cost of its implementation at that time was simply enormous - it exceeded the million pounds sterling mark. The war and rising costs did not allow the grandiose plan to be realized. In 1856, the idea of creating a tunnel was raised again, by another French engineer, Thomas de Gamond, but this time the British government, although it did not reject the idea itself, did not support it either.
The English engineer Peter William Barlow, who successfully developed the project for the London Underground - the first subway in the world, in 1875 proposed his own technical solution for laying a tunnel under the English Channel. He considered it possible to lay a steel pipe along the seabed, inside which transport could move, but this idea was immediately rejected, although the parliaments of England and France actively supported the grandiose construction. In 1876, after carrying out all the necessary geological and exploration work, the French, filled with enthusiasm, were the first to begin digging a tunnel under the strait, taking the French city of Sangatte as its starting point. The British also began building a tunnel for their part, choosing the narrowest place in the English Channel - near the city of Dover, using new drilling rigs designed by Colonel Boumont.
Kilometers had already been dug on both the English and French sides, but in 1883 the British government decided to curtail the ambitious project due to fears that the island would become vulnerable in the event of an attempted military invasion. The next attempt to build a tunnel was made in 1922, but then the workers advanced only 128 meters in drilling, and significant political reasons contributed to the curtailment of the entire project.
After the end of the Second World War and the changing political map of Europe, the idea of building a tunnel became an important moment for the unification of the two states of Western Europe. After a long discussion of the work plan, careful drawing up of the project, drilling began only in 1987, and more than 13 thousand builders - both workers and engineers - took part in its construction. Finally, after seven long years, On May 6, 1994, the grand opening of the tunnel took place., which was attended by the heads of two states - Francois Mitterrand - the President of France and Elizabeth II - the British Queen. As a result, for the first time, 8,500 years after the melting of the glacier, the waters of which turned into the English Channel, it was possible to reach the rest of the European continent from the island by land.
The Eurotunnel consists of three different components, one part of the tunnel is intended for the movement of railway trains from north to south, the other in the opposite direction, and the third is used for maintenance. It is connected to two main parts every 375 meters, so that repairs to a specific area can be carried out at any time, or passengers can be evacuated in case of danger of an accident. Ventilation vents - every 250 meters, since during the movement of trains a “bullet effect” can be created, and the air escaping into the middle part of the tunnel prevents any negative consequences.
The safety of the Channel Tunnel has been tested twice, in real catastrophic situations. So, November 18, 1996 was remembered by passengers for the fire. A shuttle train carrying trucks caught fire. French rescuers then managed to evacuate the drivers of 34 trucks, helping them get out of the burning train and move to the service part of the tunnel, 8 people were seriously injured, they were taken to hospitals by ambulances that arrived on time, and the rest of the people were successfully taken out by another train, traveling in the opposite direction. But the fire was extinguished only several hours later; firefighters were faced with extremely high temperatures, drafts in the ventilation system and low water pressure in the tunnel fire system.
The fire caused serious damage to more than 400 meters of the tunnel; in a two-hundred-meter section, thick concrete walls were badly burned; the locomotive and many carriages were completely burned, but human casualties were avoided in this case. This was facilitated by the coordinated work of British and French rescuers, and the special design of the underground mine itself, where the possibility of emergency situations was thought out to the smallest detail. While the fire damage was being repaired, the tunnel carried only one-way rail freight traffic, and on January 7, 1997, repairs were completed and traffic through the tunnel was resumed to both England and France for both freight and passenger trains.
The second emergency situation in the history of the Eurotunnel occurred on October 10, 2001. On this day, one of the trains traveling along it simply stopped, which led to panic among passengers. Many of them were subject to claustrophobia - fear of closed spaces, and only after five hours all passengers were taken to a special service tunnel and evacuated from there.
Trains running inside the tunnel reach a maximum speed of 350 km/h, so the rails of the railway track can heat up to high temperatures, sometimes reaching hundreds of degrees. A special cooling system is used; for this purpose, two stations were developed on different sides of the line with refrigerators that circulate liquid to cool the heating rails.
High-speed trains running along the Eurotunnel allow passengers to get from one capital to another as quickly as possible - in just 2.5 hours. The passage time through the tunnel itself by high-speed Eurostar trains is only 20 minutes, and by Shuttle trains it takes 35 minutes. There are four types of trains running through the Channel Tunnel:
. Eurostar is a high-speed passenger train connecting London, Ashford, Waterloo, Brussels, Lille and Calais.
. "Eurotunnel Shuttle" - high-speed shuttle trains for transporting passengers and vehicles, connecting the cities of Folkestone and Sangatte; while traveling, passengers do not leave their cars, and loading of vehicles is carried out in just 8 minutes.
. “Eurotunnel Shuttle” are freight railway trains with open platforms, on which only freight vehicles are transported, and their drivers are in a separate carriage during movement.
. Regular freight trains transporting containers and other types of cargo between insular Great Britain, mainland France and other European countries.
The speed of Eurostar class trains through the tunnel reaches 160 km/h, and on the rest of the route - up to 300 km/h. The Channel Tunnel Rail Link was not built right away, first a track was laid between the Eurotunnel and the city of Ebbsfleet, trains began running between them starting in 2003, then part of the route from Ebbsfleet to St. Pancras, which was laid in 2007 year, and then to the city of Waterloo, trains move on regular rails at a relatively low speed. Every year, millions of passengers, cars and vans, as well as tens of thousands of regular buses, pass through the Channel Tunnel.
For illegal migrants, the Eurotunnel is a kind of “pass” to the territory of Great Britain, attracting them with its soft social policy towards foreign citizens. In the French city of Sangatte there is a special center where migrants from all over the country flock who want to go to the UK, but not all illegal immigrants wait for a legal decision from the British authorities to enter the country, using the following methods of crossing the border under the English Channel. Previously, they climbed inside Eurostar passenger trains and immediately after crossing the border, remaining unnoticed by border and customs officials, got off in England at the first station, immediately after the train left the tunnel on the surface, but now the new passport and visa regime has deprived illegal immigrants of this possibilities.
The second way to cross the border is to hide well inside one of the shipping containers, but many migrants die during this dangerous journey. Thus, one day, when opening a container at the destination, more than fifty suffocated illegal migrants from Asia were discovered. Many migrants try to pass through the Eurotunnel on foot, but only a few manage to reach the territory of England - the rest either do not find the way and return back, or they are stopped by border guards and tunnel guards and returned to French territory.
Journalists from the program “New Wonders of the World” once told the world an interesting legend about one of the first illegal migrants who managed to cross the English Channel. The man, who had walked more than fifty kilometers, at the exit of the tunnel, having already fallen into the hands of British customs officers, still managed to escape, while very loudly shaking the air with Russian obscene language, which indicates that this is a citizen of one of the post-Soviet republics . He managed, by using force, to escape from the not-too-strong hands of the customs officers and quickly escape, but no one managed to find out his whereabouts or even his name.
To stop the flow of illegal immigrants, the British government in 2002 decided to install listening equipment and technology in Kent that scans containers to identify the presence of migrants in them, and a year later this problem also affected France. As a result, the entrance to the tunnel was closed with a fence, and the immigration center was liquidated.
