Eurotunnel - The experience (Euro Tunnel)

Name: JB01

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Product:	Euro Tunnel
Date:	05/08/06 (1110 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Better than the boat/speed

Disadvantages: Expensive

The UK and French governments have divided the operation into 3 main parts & given each to a different operator.

1. Eurotunnel who are the operators who control the trains.
2. Le Shuttle the name of the train service between Folkestone & Calais.
3. Eurostar the train service between London & Paris - Brussels.

I tried the journey from Waterloo to Brussels and will be able to relate this experience to you. Before then some history and background to help you make your decision as to whether to travel and if yes how to make it more enjoyable.

***THE PRODUCT***

This review is concerned with the Eurotunnel experience; they are the company that control operations between Folkestone (UK) and Coquelles (France). They manage the infrastructure of the channel tunnel and receive toll revenues from train operating companies. Our governments have granted a concession to operate a service until 2086. Eurostar also operate trains through the tunnel (see my other review). It takes about 35 minutes for a eurotunnel train to cross 50 km tunnel under the channel. The service operates 24/7 for 365 days a year.

A LITTLE HISTORY:

1802 - French engineer A. Mathieu with the 1st ever design for a tunnel followed closely by and English man, H. Mottray.
1830 - Steam trains and British rail network, by the mid 19 century a French engineer T de Gamond had produced another plan.
1880 - 1st attempt by Beaumont & English at a boring machine.
1957 - 16th July Channel Tunnel Study Group formed who proposed a twin bore tunnel with an additional service tunnel in 1960.
1973 - project formally launched by Edward Heath & President Pompidou.
1985 - invitation to tender.
1986 - (1960 proposal accepted) formation of Eurotunnel group.
1987 - boring begins.
1994 - tunnel opened and 1st international freight train through.

SOME FURTHER FACTS:

Eurotunnel have been operating since 1994 transporting people and goods, they operate 25 shuttle trains carrying cars, coaches & trucks. In 2004 Eurotunnel carried 1.3 million trucks, 2.1 million cars, 63,000 coaches on the shuttle service. I provided for 7.3 million eurostar passengers and 1.9 million tonnes of freight. The company employs 3,205 people split UK (1,278) France (1,927) including the chairman Jacques Gounon.

More facts like these at www.eurotunnel.com the official website address.

***THE EXPERIENCE***

I found the seats rather cramped, but probably because of the times of travel the carriages were not too crowded hence I could move around. The buffet bar served expensive but palatable snacks and the service was in English. The French check passports in the UK before departure. The tunnel was over quickly and quite frankly rather like any other tunnel, certainly it added very little in discomfort to the journey (excepting the lack of outside to stare at). Even in my forties the concept of being able to get on a train in 1 country and alight in a foreign speaking one had some fascination. Having travelled by boat the convenience of the train was evident, even by plane station to station; city to city is far better economy. Since travelling I have only heard of 1 incident concerning tunnel safety where passengers had to be evacuated. Since problems in the UK capital recently I wonder how long it will be before another occurs.

Summary: Eurotunnel, the whole journey, more exclusie than the boat (and possibly plane).