Channel Tunnel (Folkestone-Coquelles)
Early 1800s: the idea of connecting the UK and France by tunnel was first proposed - see Channel Tunnel - when its supporters included Napoleon Bonaparte.
1880 Work on experimental tunnels started at Abbot’s Cliff. Many of the workers used hand tools, but a state-of-the-art boring machine was also used. Work was eventually abandoned until construction on the tunnel as we now know it began again in 1988.
The Channel Tunnel is made of three separate tunnels running parallel to each other. One train tunnel running south (UK to France), one train tunnel running north (France to UK) and one service tunnel. All three tunnels were drilled below the seabed and link Folkestone in Kent to Coquelles in Pas-de-Calais.
At its deepest, the tunnel is 75 metres (246 feet) below sea level. It is 31.5 miles long (50.45 km), 23.5 miles (37.9 km) of which is under the English Channel, making it the world's longest undersea tunnel.
1993 The tunnel was completed in 1993; Eurostar rail services started in November 1994. A rail-based shuttle (Le Shuttle), run by a separate company, carries cars, vans and other vehicles (and their occupants) between Folkestone and Calais.
See Also
Sources of Information
- [1] Eurostar website