Channel Tunnel
The Channel Tunnel (French:Le tunnel sous la Manche),also known as Chunnel or Eurotunnel,is a 50.5-kilometre (31.4 mi) undersea rail tunnel linking the United Kingdom and France,running beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover,connecting Folkestone,Kent in England to Coquelles near Calais in northern France.It is the second longest undersea tunnel in the world (after Japan's Seikan Tunnel).
Ideas for a cross-Channel fixed link existed as early as 1802 but the eventual successful project,organised by Eurotunnel,began construction in 1988.By 1994 the tunnel commenced operating its through-rail passenger services,linking London to Paris and Brussels,through-rail freight services and vehicle shuttle services.The project's cost overran predictions by 80%,and concessionaire Eurotunnel overestimated tunnel traffic and has met financial difficulty.In 1996 a fire disrupted operation of the tunnel.Illegal immigrants and asylum seekers had been known in the past to use the tunnel to enter Britain,causing a minor diplomatic row over the siting of the Sangatte refugee camp which was eventually closed in 2002.
Eleven tunnel boring machines working from both the UK and France cut through chalk marl to construct two rail tunnels and a service tunnel.Rolling stock using the tunnel includes Eurostar passenger trains based on the French TGV and vehicle shuttle wagons that are the largest in the world; the tunnel has its own fleet of service vehicles.The vehicle shuttle terminals are located at Cheriton and Coquelles,and are connected to the British and French motorways.In 1996 the American Society of Civil Engineers identified the tunnel as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World.
