The Channel Tunnel
Staff posted on October 17, 2006 |
The construction of the Channel Tunnel and its railway system is one of the greatest technological a...

The Channel Tunnel Transportation System

The Channel Tunnel provides a railway link between the road and rail networks in Great Britain and France.

SHUTTLE TRAINS FOR ROAD VEHICLES

Road vehicles access the terminals from the M20 motorway in Kent or via the autoroutes A16 and A26 in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais.

Cars, coaches and lorries are directed into appropriate lanes before arrival at the tollbooths, where tickets are purchased.

Lorries follow a separate route to areas where travel facilities and customs clearance for freight are located, before following signs to the loading platforms.

Drivers of passenger vehicles may visit the passenger terminal buildings for refreshments or shopping facilities or they may proceed directly towards the allocation zones where signs indicate a designated loading platform.

Vehicles then travel onto the overbridges and down the ramp to the platform and into the shuttle train.

Journey time platform to platform is 35 minutes.

The LE SHUTTLE vehicle transport service is owned and operated by Eurotunnel

THROUGH TRAINS FOR PASSENGERS AND FREIGHT

High-speed trains offer passenger services between the international stations of London Waterloo, Paris Gare du Nord and Brussels Midi, with en route stations at Ashford in Kent and at Lille and Calais-Frethun in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais.

The EUROSTAR service is owned and operated by European Passenger Services, a consortium of British railways, SNCF and SNCB.

Facts and Figures about the Trains

Le Shuttle Trains Eurostar Trains
Power output: 5.76 MW or 7600hp
Weight of locomotive:/TD> 132 tonnes
Weight of train: 2000 tonnes
Max. Speed: 160km/h (100mph)
Normal Speed: 140km/h (87mph)
Track gauge: 1.435m (56.5 in)
Wheel diameter: 1.250m (49 in)
Length of locomotive: 22.215m (72.5 ft)
Length of Train: 333m (1292ft)
Weight of locomotive: 68 tonnes
Weight of train: 800 tonnes
Maximum operating speed:
(France)
300km/h (185 mph)

REFERENCES

Harris, C.S., Hart, M.B., Varley, P.M., and Warren, C.D. (1996) Engineering Geology of the Channel Tunnel. T.Telford, London, 520p.
URL: http://www.globetrotting.co.uk/chunnel.html
URL: http://www.channeltunnel.co.uk/infoct.html
URL: http://info.exeter.ac.uk/ESE/research/2-5-3logistics.html
URL: http://www.york.com/landmark/landmark-1.html
URL: http://www.railways.detr.gov.uk/ctrl/ctfaq.html
URL: http://www.summrfld.demon.co.uk/af1.html
URL: http://www.eurotunnel.com/eurouk/etplc/museum1.html
URL: http://www.asce.org/govnpub/pr3_96wonders.html

Page: 5 Of 5First  Previous  1  2  3  4  5  Next  Last  

Recommended For You