
These connect with the national rail networks as well as with the motorway and road networks.

It links the terminals at Folkestone (Kent) and Coquelles (Hauts-de-France).
CHANNEL TUNNEL PLUS
The Channel Fixed Link between the United Kingdom and France consists of two railway tunnels plus a service tunnel, each 50 km long (37 km of which are under the sea).

The two authorities act as an appellate body in the terms of Article 56(1) of Directive 2012/34/EU for the railway companies, which can refer to it when they believe they have suffered unfair treatment, discrimination or any other impairment of their access to the tunnel. On 17 February 2016 ORR and ARAFER made their first recommendations on Eurotunnel's Network Statement for the 2017 service timetable. The committee supervises the activities of the Permanent Service and agrees joint positions to assist the two authorities to make coherent, shared decisions to regulate the Channel Tunnel.Įach year, the two regulators issue an opinion on the Eurotunnel Network Statement – checking that it contains no discriminatory clauses and does not grant discretionary powers to the infrastructure operator, which it could use to discriminate against railway companies. It consists of three members of the governing body of ARAFER and three representatives of the ORR Board. The Bi-national Committee is a forum for discussion, co-operation and conciliation between the two authorities. It is in charge of considering appeals and advising the Bi-national Committee in its decision making. The Permanent Service is a working group of the departments of ARAFER and ORR.

the Bi-national Committee, consisting of representatives of the governing bodies of ARAFER and ORR.In particular, it sets common working methods within the two bodies: The agreement prescribes practical ways for the two regulators to cooperate. The cooperation agreement aims to define the broad lines of coordinated and effective cooperation between the two authorities, with a view to ensuring the economic regulation of the Channel Tunnel. Harrison arrived in Folkestone six hours after boarding the train.ARAFER and ORR entered into a cooperation agreement on 16 March 2015 to ensure cooperation based on reciprocity, transparency, and trust. That train then stopped as it couldn’t get traction, presumably as it was long and had no weight on it.” We then walked approximately 10 minutes to a train in front of the stricken train. “After further waiting we left the train through the emergency link tunnel to the service tunnel. It took approximately one and a half hours for them to investigate and obviously not find anything.” We were told they needed to investigate an issue with the wheels. Some passengers carried suitcases and walked with dogs through the tunnel while travellers on the Calais side were urged to stay away from the terminal until 6am on Wednesday, leading to large queues at the shuttle terminal late into Tuesday evening.Ī traveller on the evacuated train, Michael Harrison, from Cranbrook, Kent, told PA: “We got on the 3.50pm crossing, approximately 10 minutes in the lights went out and the train stopped.

Travellers on the service shared their experience on social media, with videos showing people walking through the alternate tunnel alongside the 31-mile (50km) rail route between Britain and France.
