The railway tunnel under the Channel

The idea of connecting Great Britain with the continental part of Europe through a single engineering structure visited the best minds on both sides of the strait for several centuries. Even calculations were carried out on what was better: a bridge or a tunnel. Napoleon Bonaparte intended to start building, but some historical circumstances prevented this. The real tunnel under the Channel was commissioned only at the end of the twentieth century. Apart from preliminary training, construction work itself took about seven years.

Tunnel under the Channel. Characteristic

There were a lot of construction projects. The one that eventually chose was optimal in both technical and economic terms. The length of the tunnel under the Channel is 51 kilometers, of which 39 are directly under the strait itself. Tunnel railway, working in both directions simultaneously. Provides the passage of both freight and passenger trains. A significant part of the turnover is traffic of cars on open platforms. The tunnel under the Channel allows you to get from London to Paris or back in two or three hours. To overcome the tunnel itself, it takes from twenty minutes to half an hour. The movement is carried out in accordance with English rules: in the left-hand mode. Technical support of the entire track distance allows the train to develop a sufficiently high speed. The most surprising thing is that the grand tunnel under the Channel is by no means the largest in the world. It is inferior to the Japanese Seikan and the Swiss Gothard Tunnel.

Some Technical Details

In fact, Eurotunnel, as it is often called, consists of three parallel underground structures. Two are moving in opposite directions. And between them is laid a third, smaller diameter. Every 375 meters it has exits to the main thoroughfares. The middle tunnel performs the functions of technical support and repair. And also allows you to establish throughout the entire underground space of sustainable ventilation and avoid the so-called piston effect - a large air pressure in front of a moving locomotive. In addition, it is designed to ensure the safety of all transport communications. In the event of an emergency situation, passengers must be evacuated. Unplanned situations occurred over the course of two decades of tunnel operation several times, but the system managed to prove its reliability during its operation.

Opening of Eurotunnel

On 6 May 1994, a tunnel under the Channel was opened in a solemn atmosphere. Photos from the shores of the strait went around all the world news agencies, reports were conducted by all the world's leading television channels. Eurotunnel was torn off by Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain and French President Francois Mitterrand. There were many official delegations from all over the world. The event caused a great public response.