Channel Tunnel news – Page 4
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NewsEurostar Group names next CEO and targets 30 million passengers within 10 years
EUROPE: Gwendoline Cazenave has been appointed as CEO of Eurostar Group with effect from October 1. She will succeed Jacques Damas, who has been CEO of Eurostar since October 2020 and CEO of Eurostar Group since it was formed as the holding company for Eurostar and ...
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In depthEurope: Bringing unaccompanied freight to the UK through the Channel Tunnel
Channel Tunnel concessionaire Eurotunnel is planning new rail services to meet growing demand for the unaccompanied transport of lorry trailers between continental Europe and inland destinations in the UK, Christian Dufermont, Freight Commercial Director, Eurotunnel Le Shuttle Freight, tells Railway Gazette International.
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NewsEurostar Group formed as holding company for Eurostar and Thalys
EUROPE: Eurostar Group has been established as the holding company for international high speed train operators Eurostar and Thalys, and the shareholders have announced their ambition for the combined services to carry 30 million passengers/year within 10 years, compared to 18 million in 2019. ...
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NewsMerger approval ‘should ensure the rebound and growth ambitions of Thalys and Eurostar’, says SNCF
EUROPE: The European Commission has approved the planned merger of cross-border high speed train operators Thalys and Eurostar. SNCF Voyageurs told Railway Gazette International the merger ‘should ensure the rebound and growth ambitions of Thalys and Eurostar.’ Announcing its decision on March 29, the Commission said ...
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NewsChannel Tunnel track contracts awarded
EUROPE: Channel Tunnel operator Eurotunnel has awarded Colas Rail two contracts for maintenance and renewal of the 200 km of track at its two terminals and in the tunnel. One contract covers routine maintenance and is worth €2·5m over three years, with an option for a ...
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Rail Business UKUK to France automotive train service launched
EUROPE: DB Cargo UK has launched a rail service transporting Corolla hybrid cars manufactured at Toyota’s Derby plant in the UK to Valenciennes in France via the Channel Tunnel, returning with Aygo, Yaris and Yaris+ vehicles. ‘This project is the culmination of four years of work ...
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NewsEurostar biometric trial goes live
EUROPE: Eurostar has begun live trials of the SmartCheck biometric face authentication system, enabling passengers boarding at London St Pancras International to complete secure ticket verification and UK exit checks on their mobile devices before travel.
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NewsRENFE aims to compete with Eurostar on Paris – London route
EUROPE: Spanish national rail operator RENFE is developing plans for a Paris – London train service which would compete with Eurostar and provide it with an alternative route into the French passenger market. RENFE believes that the launch of a Paris – London service would be ...
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NewsEurostar brand to remain after Thalys merger
EUROPE: European high speed operators Eurostar and Thalys confirmed on October 4 that their planned merger announced in September 2019 is on course to be completed ‘within two to three years’, with a formal submission to the European Commission’s competition authority expected in 2022. Being taken ...
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NewsCargoBeamer network extended to the UK
EUROPE: CargoBeamer has formed a partnership with Eurotunnel enabling unaccompanied lorry semi-trailers arriving at its rail-road transfer terminal in Calais to be transported on Shuttle trains through the Channel Tunnel and then onwards to Ashford in southeast England. The companies said this would partially resolve the ...
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NewsChannel Tunnel to handle unaccompanied freight
EUROPE: Channel Tunnel operator Getlink is to launch a service carrying unaccompanied lorry trailers, using its ‘unique customs expertise’ to speed up post-Brexit cross-border traffic. The service between the Channel Tunnel terminals in Calais and Folkestone is to be launched on September 18, in addition to ...
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NewsChannel Tunnel optic fibre network contract signed
EUROPE: Colt Technology Services has signed a 25-year contract for the installation of optic fibres through the Channel Tunnel as part of its IQ Network data network. This will provide a transfer capacity of several terabits per second per fibre pair. Channel Tunnel operator Getlink’s existing ...
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Rail Business UKViewpoint: Help needed to restore HS1 as the UK’s ‘green gateway’
Britain’s sole high speed railway and its link to continental Europe, High Speed 1 can lead the transport decarbonisation charge, but it needs support to bounce back from Covid-19 first, argues HS1 Ltd Chief Executive Dyan Crowther.
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Rail Business UKDoncaster terminal offers customs clearance for Channel Tunnel rail freight
UK: The iPort Rail terminal in Doncaster has opened facilities enabling goods to clear customs before or after rail transport through the Channel Tunnel, helping shippers to avoid road and port congestion. ‘Being able to clear customs in Doncaster should be a greater incentive for businesses ...
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NewsParis – Edinburgh route proposed under French start-up Midnight Trains’ hotel train plan
EUROPE: A Paris – Edinburgh service is among the most eye-catching proposals for a network of premium overnight sleeping car services set out by French start-up Midnight Trains on June 16.
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NewsEurostar to increase services and complete Thalys merger as £250m refinancing agreement secured
EUROPE: Cross-Channel high speed train operator Eurostar has announced a £250m refinancing agreement with its shareholders and banks, which it said would enable it to continue to operate services and meet its short to mid-term financial obligations. The refinancing package announced on May 18 comprises £50m ...
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NewsCall for Eurostar trains to be made available to support on-rail competition
EUROPE: The ALLRAIL association of new entrants to the rail market has said any government support which might be offered to Eurostar during the coronavirus pandemic should be accompanied by conditions designed to facilitate cross-Channel competition.
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Rail Business UKEurostar to make cash refund option clearer
UK: International high speed train operator Eurostar has agreed to make it clearer that passengers have a right to cash refunds for cancelled services, following an intervention by the Office of Rail & Road. ORR said Eurostar’s service cancellation e-mails to passengers had provided prominent information about ...
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NewsTemporary rules to keep the Channel Tunnel open
EUROPE: The European Parliament has approved temporary measures designed to ensure that rail operations through the Channel Tunnel can continue once the Brexit transition period ends on January 1 2021. The European Parliament approved the temporary rules under an urgent procedure on December 17 with 684 votes ...
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NewsSNCF veteran Damas to lead Eurostar as restructuring looms
EUROPE: On September 4 the management board of Voyages SNCF announced the selection of Jacques Damas to succeed Mike Cooper as Chief Executive of Eurostar, in which the French national operator holds a 55% majority stake. Damas is an SNCF veteran whose career with the state railway ...