Why did the chunnel fail?

The problems became very clear very quickly – while the Channel Tunnel was built more or less on time, costs were £9 billion, much higher than the foreseen £5.5 billion. And as the project had been built using a build-own-operate-transfer system, Eurotunnel itself had to recoup these higher costs.
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How many died building the Chunnel?

Tunnelling commenced in 1988, and the tunnel began operating in 1994. At the peak of construction 15,000 people were employed with daily expenditure over £3 million. Ten workers, eight of them British, were killed during construction between 1987 and 1993, most in the first few months of boring.
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Could the Chunnel collapse?

A huge wave of water pounding directly above the English Channel could completely collapse the Chunnel. Even though these risks may seem a little off the wall, they must still be accounted.
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Has there ever been a chunnel accident?

2008 Channel Tunnel fire. On 11 September 2008, a France-bound Eurotunnel Shuttle train carrying heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) and their drivers caught fire while travelling through the Channel Tunnel.
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Why did they build the Chunnel instead of a bridge?

They wanted the tunnel to go under the English channel. Guess where the English channel is? Unlike the London bridge in Arizona, it would have cost too much to move the channel, so they decided to just build the tunnel where the channel was, with no alterations.
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How the Channel Tunnel Almost FAILED – The Shocking True Story Behind UK & France’s Mega Project

Why is the Holland Tunnel not a bridge?

Since a long approach to the bridge on the Manhattan side would not be feasible, in 1913 it was decided that a tunnel was the best method of achieving the desired result. There were two proposals put forth for the creation of the Holland Tunnel.
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Has the Chunnel made a profit?

Channel Tunnel generates record profits despite fall in lorry traffic. Getlink, the operator of the Channel Tunnel (Eurotunnel), announced a consolidated turnover of £1.629 billion in 2023.
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Can you see underwater in the chunnel?

What does the Eurotunnel look like underwater? This may be a disappointing answer, but you can't actually see the sea from the Eurostar. When you go through the tunnel and look out of the window, all you can see is your reflection in the glass because it's quite dark outside.
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Has anyone ever walked through the Channel tunnel?

On the 17th August 2015, Abdul Haroun, a Sudanese refugee, walked the 31-mile Channel tunnel to Britain with a hope of reaching safety in the UK.
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Does the chunnel leak water?

*And yes, it does leak actually. The tunnel is designed to. Water naturally permeates down from the material above the tunnel and is then pumped away.
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How deep underwater is the chunnel?

Others, like the Eurostar, carry only passengers. The tunnel, which was once called the Eurotunnel, opened in 1994. It is 50 kilometres (31 miles) long and its deepest point is 75 metres (250 feet) beneath the surface.
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Does the chunnel have toilets?

Do you have to stay in your car when using LeShuttle? You can choose to sit in the car during the entire crossing, or get out and stretch your legs on the train. There are toilets available, should you need them.
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Has the Eurotunnel ever flooded?

Footage shot in the tunnel showed water gushing from a pipe and submerging the tracks. Thames Water said it believed the flood was caused by a “fire control system and not a Thames Water pipe”. On Saturday afternoon, engineers working in the tunnel said the volume of water had been “unprecedented”.
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Is the Chunnel floating?

It is actually composed of three tunnels, each 50km long, bored at an average 40m below the sea bed. They link Folkestone (Kent) to Coquelles (Pas-de-Calais). Eurotunnel Shuttles, Eurostar and freight trains runs on two monodirectional single-track tunnels.
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Has a train ever broken down in the Eurotunnel?

This breakdown has triggered memories of past incidents, including the 2014 Le Shuttle train breakdown in the Channel Tunnel. In that incident, 400 passengers were evacuated inside the Tunnel, leading to numerous cancellations, including Eurostar services.
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Where did the dirt from the Chunnel go?

Almost 5 millions of cubic metres of spoil extracted from the tunnels were deposited behind the 1,7 km long (just over 1 mile) sea wall, reclaiming some 45 hectares (111 acres) from the English Channel.
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How safe is chunnel?

There are numerous systems in place and exercises conducted to keep it this way. The Safety Authority in charge of maintaining the Channel Tunnel and its transport methods is made up of independent experts and the tunnel itself is designed to be some of the safest infrastructure in the world.
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What happens if the Eurotunnel breaks?

If a shuttle were to break down in the tunnel, we are the first responder to try and repair the fault and get the shuttle moving again.
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Can you get out of your car in the chunnel?

The journey from Folkestone to Calais on LeShuttle takes just 35 minutes, and you'll stay in the comfort of your vehicle for the ride. That's enough time to get out of your car to stretch your legs, and tuck into any snacks and refreshments you have with you or bought at one of our terminals.
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Can you get the Eurostar to Amsterdam?

Cheap tickets from London to Amsterdam

Travelling from London to Amsterdam with Eurostar is simple and smart. Go direct from city centre to city centre in just 4 hours 19 mins. And whether you're going for work or play, we'll get you there feeling relaxed and rested.
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Are there lights in the chunnel?

The main tunnels are only lit in emergency situations, as the trains have their own lights and drivers prefer to use them.
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What country owns the Channel tunnel?

Getlink, formerly Groupe Eurotunnel, is a European public company based in Paris that manages and operates the infrastructure of the Channel Tunnel between France and the United Kingdom, operates the LeShuttle railway service, and earns revenue on other trains that operate through the tunnel (Eurostar passenger and DB ...
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Is Eurostar in financial trouble?

In 2024, we successfully refinanced the group”s existing €963.7 million bank debt. The group's total bank debt at the end of 2024 stood at €650 million. We currently operate a fleet of 51 trains: 17 e320 (894 seats), 8 e300 (750 seats), 17 PBKA (371–399 seats), 9 PBA (371 seats).
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Why did Eurotunnel change its name?

A Eurotunnel – or Getlink – spokesman said the rebranding was necessary because the group now owned companies beyond the tunnel. They include Europorte, which runs freight through the tunnel, and ElecLink, a projected power line to connect the French and UK national grids.
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