360The Channel Tunnel opens between Britain and France
On 6 May 1994, Queen Elizabeth II and French President François Mitterrand opened the Channel Tunnel, linking Britain and France by rail under the sea. About 50 km long, with about 38 km under the seabed, it has the longest undersea section of any tunnel. Eurostar trains now link London and Paris in about two and a quarter hours.
Plans for a tunnel under the English Channel had been suggested since the time of Napoleon, and work began and stopped several times.
In 1986, Britain and France signed an agreement, and construction started in 1988. Giant boring machines dug from both sides, and on 1 December 1990 workers from Britain and France met under the seabed and shook hands.
The tunnel actually has three tubes: two rail tunnels and a service tunnel between them. It carries Eurostar passenger trains, freight trains and shuttle trains for cars and lorries.
It was opened on 6 May 1994 by the Queen and President Mitterrand. In 1996 the American Society of Civil Engineers named it one of the seven wonders of the modern world.
- 1986
- The Treaty of Canterbury
- 1988
- Tunnelling begins
- 1 December 1990
- Workers from both sides meet
- 6 May 1994
- The tunnel opens
- November 1994
- Eurostar services begin
Sources: Getlink (Eurotunnel) · Britannica · Institution of Civil Engineers.