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