C. MITCHELL CHUNNEL UNIT 4 - GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND
PAGE 257 Short for Channel Tunnel This channel is a 31.4 mi rail tunnel linking Folkestone, Kent, in the United Kingdom, with Coquelles, Pas-de- Calais, near Calais in northern France Beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover. At its lowest point, it is 250 ft deep. At 23.5 mi, the tunnel has the longest undersea portion of any tunnel in the world. The speed limit in the tunnel is 99 mph
PAGE 258 Capitals- GB-London Ireland-Dublin Time zone- GMT Drive on Left side of the Road.
WEATHER PATTERNS PG. 258 Warming influence of the gulf stream, and has a very moderate climate. Lots of Fog Not many crowds except around summer. Spring and fall things slow down dramatically.
Eurotunnel shuttles, Eurostar and national freight trains run in the two single track and single direction tunnels. These are connected to a central service tunnel by cross-passages situated every 375m. The service tunnel allows access to maintenance and emergency rescue teams and serves as a safe haven if passengers need to be evacuated in an incident. The service tunnel is a road tunnel used by electric and diesel-powered vehicles. Air pressure is higher in the service tunnel to prevent the ingress of smoke in case of a fire in one of the rail tunnels. The two rail tunnels are 7.6m in diameter and 30m apart. Each rail tunnel has a single track, overhead line equipment (catenary) and two walkways (one for maintenance purposes and the other for use in the event of an emergency evacuation and on the side nearest the service tunnel). The walkways are also designed to maintain a shuttle upright and in a straight line of travel in the unlikely event of a derailment.
They didn't quite meet in the middle - the English side tunnelled the greater distance. The average depth of the tunnel is 50 metres below the seabed, and the lowest point 75 metres below. Much of the chalk marl spoil bored on the English side was deposited at Lower Shakespeare Cliff in Kent, now home to the Samphire Hoe Country Park. There are actually three tunnels down there - two for trains and a smaller service tunnel that can be used in emergencies. Up to 400 trains pass through the tunnel each day, carrying an average of 50,000 passengers, 6,000 cars, 180 coaches and 54,000 tonnes of freight.
Shuttle trains are 775 metres long - the same as eight football pitches. The lining of the tunnel is designed to last for 120 years. It takes around 35 minutes to travel the length of the Channel Tunnel. The introduction of a pet travel scheme in 2000 has seen more than one million dogs and cats travelling through the tunnel. For more details on travelling to Europe with a pet - see our guide. The Queen and President Mitterrand officially opened the tunnel on May 6, The royal party travelled from Waterloo to Calais at a sedate 80mph. The presidential party sped to the coast from Paris at 186mph.
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