Channel tunnel

(Part 1)

The English Channel (Frenchmen call it “La Manche” – which means ‘the sleeve’) is one of the world's most extraordinary pieces of water. For centuries, the Channel has been Britain's defense against invaders. It has also been the way to the Continent. Sailors know it as perhaps the most dangerous sea channel in Europe. Over the years, people have crossed the tunnel by balloons, canoes, rowing boats, parachutes, water skis and by swimming! The British seem to enjoy using the strange methods of crossing the Channel, using everything from a car to a bed.

Connecting the Isles of Great Britain to mainland Europe by means of a tunnel is an idea that appeared more than 200 years ago. Nevertheless we can name very few projects against which there existed a deeper and more powerful prejudice than the construction of a railway tunnel between Dover and Calais. The objections have been cultural, political and, of course, military. The British government objected to the scheme mainly because they thought that the enemy could easily invade England through such a tunnel.

It can be said that the long history of the Channel Tunnel began in 1802 when a French engineer, Albert Mathieu, according to the order of Napoleon, worked out a project of a tunnel to link France with England. But his project was not carried out, because the war between these countries began in 1803 and the Britons were glad that they were separated from the French by the Channel.

Seventy years later, a British colonel, Ernst Beaumont, began tunneling his way out of his native country using equipment that he designed himself, until he was stopped on grounds of national security. In 1950s a research group was set up to study the possibility of the Channel Tunnel construction. In 1963 this group submitted its report to the British and French governments. But when they were to make a final decision about the Channel Tunnel, the British Government refused from its construction because of financial difficulties.

Only in 1987 the question of the Channel Tunnel was studied afresh by a group of French and British engineers and the work actually began. They agreed to start constructing the Eurotunnel, as it was called, on both English and French coasts. The Tunnel was bored under the sea through a layer of dense chalk which is known to be free of cracks and allows water to penetrate it slowly. Saturday, December 1, 1990 was not an ordinary day in the Channel’s long history. At 11.00 a.m. two miners, one Frenchman and one Englishman, cut through the last few centimeters of chalk separating the UK from Europe. The Tunnel was officially opened for traffic on May 7, 1994.

(Part 2)

The Channel Tunnel actually consists of three tunnels: the two running tunnels* and the service tunnel**. Single-track railway lines are laid down in each of the running tunnels. Normally, one of them carries passenger and freight trains from Britain to France and the other carries trains in the opposite direction. If one of the running tunnels is closed for maintenance, the other is used for train movement in both directions. A smaller third tunnel lies between the two train tunnels. It is called the service tunnel. There is a roadway inside it, so maintenance workers and emergency teams can reach any point of the Tunnel system in their road vehicles. The service tunnel is linked to the running tunnels at regular intervals by cross-passages***. In case of emergency or a train breakdown the passengers will leave the train through one of the cross-passages into the service tunnel where road vehicles will evacuate them to a safer place.

The total length of the Tunnel is about 50 km (3.7 km is laid underneath French territory; 9 km is laid underneath British territory and 37 km of the line is constructed under the waters of the English Channel). The electric trains run every 3 minutes during peak hours, providing the carrying capacity of 4, 000 vehicles per hour in both directions. A typical passenger shuttle consists of 26 wagons. 13 double-deck carriages are used for carrying cars of average size; another 13 single-deck wagons are used for transporting buses and vans. Freight shuttles consist of 25 single-deck wagons. Each of them is capable of carrying a vehicle weighing up to 44 tons. Two electric locomotives are coupled in front and at the rear of each shuttle.

The time of crossing the Tunnel is 35 minutes, about an hour less than by ferry. Passengers and drivers remain in their vehicles. The gauge of the tunnel railway is standard that’s why the tunnel can be used for international passenger and freight trains.

Original estimate of construction cost was 7.2 billion dollars, but cost to date is 13.1 billion dollars shared between Britain, France and other investors. So far the project has not been quite profitable and still needs more investments.

The Tunnel personnel do its best to make passengers feel comfortable and safe during the crossing. But as it was mentioned by the commercial director of the Tunnel, they still have many serious problems and one of them is safety. Nevertheless, the authorities are sure to be able to solve all the problems successfully.

Notes: *running tunnel – эксплуатационный тоннель

**service tunnel – служебный тоннель

***cross-passage – поперечный переход

Ex.26. Answer the following general questions:

1. Was the first design of the Channel Tunnel proposed in 1851?

2. Had only two projects been considered before the actual tunneling began?

3. Did the construction proceed very quickly?

4. Are double-track railway lines laid down in the running tunnels?

5. Is there a roadway inside the service tunnel?

6. Do the electric trains operate in the Channel Tunnel?

7. Does a typical passenger shuttle consist of 26 wagons?

8. Is the time of crossing the Channel Tunnel 30 minutes?

9. Has each shuttle two electric locomotives coupled in front and at the rear?

10. Can the Tunnel be used for international passenger and freight trains?

Ex.27. True or false? Correct the false statements.

1) The first project of the Tunnel was worked out in 1802. 2) The English engineer was the first to propose this project. 3) The construction of the Tunnel was in progress when the war (1803) began. 3) Ernst Beaumont was the second Frenchman to propose the project of the construction. 5) He began constructing the Tunnel, and the work was successfully completed. 6) The third project was proposed by a group of French, English and American engineers. 7) This project was approved by both French and English governments. 8) France opposed to the tunnel construction because of financial difficulties. 9) The construction actually began in 1988. 10) The work proceeded very slowly and was completed only 20 years later. 11) The Tunnel was opened for traffic on May 1, 1994. 12) The total length of the Tunnel is 37 km. 13) Passengers are carried in trains but freight is transported in horse-drawn carts. 14) The traffic frequency of trains is 4, 000 vehicles per hour. 15) One can cross the tunnel on foot or by bicycle. 16) The project is very profitable.