The Channel Tunnel celebrates its thirtieth birthday on Monday May 6, 2024. Fifty kilometers long, it connects France and England on dry land. A look back at an infrastructure that revolutionized trade between Great Britain and the European continent.
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It was May 6, 1994. After five years of work, and a million tons of concrete poured. The image of these two Eurostar trains, one leaving Paris, the other from London meeting in Calais, could be found on all television sets of the time.
The inauguration took place with great fanfare with the French president at the time, François Mitterrand, and Queen Elizabeth II: “ This is the first time in history that the heads of state of France and Great Britain have met without having to take a boat or a plane. “. Response from François Mitterrand: “ This new axis of communication is an exemplary example of a Europe at the cutting edge of technology. »
Record result
Thirty years later, the operating company Eurotunnel and its parent company Getlink are doing well. With a record result last year with profits up 30%. The Eurostar between Paris and London is reaching peaks in attendance, almost eleven million travelers in 2023. The concessionaire wants to double the number of high-speed connections within ten years. At least two Spanish and Dutch companies also want to launch their high-speed train in the tunnel.
The other reason for Getlink’s good financial health is the recent commissioning of an electricity transmission cable. A very juicy new service as a spin-off. Only truck transport is suffering from competition from ferries and Brexit. It has been idle for three years.
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