How many tunnels are there in the Eurotunnel?

It is actually composed of three tunnels, each 50km long, bored at an average 40m below the sea bed. They link Folkestone (Kent) to Coquelles (Pas-de-Calais). Eurotunnel Shuttles, Eurostar and freight trains runs on two monodirectional single-track tunnels.



The Eurotunnel (often called the "Chunnel") actually consists of three separate tunnels running parallel to each other beneath the English Channel. There are two outer rail tunnels, each 7.6 meters in diameter, which carry the Eurostar passenger trains and the LeShuttle vehicle-carrying trains. One rail tunnel handles traffic from the UK to France (southbound), while the other handles traffic from France to the UK (northbound). Between these two rail tunnels lies a smaller service tunnel, which is 4.8 meters in diameter. This middle tunnel is designed for maintenance access and emergency evacuation; it is kept at a higher air pressure than the rail tunnels to prevent smoke from entering in the event of a fire. In 2026, this three-tunnel configuration remains one of the world's most sophisticated engineering feats, connecting Folkestone, UK, to Coquelles, France.

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Eurostar and Eurotunnel are completely different companies but they share use of the Channel Tunnel. Eurotunnel is operated by Getlink, the company that owns and operates the Channel Tunnel, connecting the UK with France, while Eurostar is a customer of Getlink and runs its passenger trains through the Chunnel.

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It is 50.5km long and comprises an undersea section of 38km, still the longest in the world.

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The Channel Tunnel is made of three separate tunnels running parallel to each other. One train tunnel running south (UK to France), one train tunnel running north (France to UK) and one service tunnel. All three tunnels were drilled below the seabed and link Folkestone in Kent to Coquelles in Pas-de-Calais.

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You cannot travel as a foot passenger, but you are able to take a bicycle. If you don't need or want to drive your vehicle for your trip, you can travel as a foot passenger on Eurostar.

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Generally speaking the ferry is usually slightly cheaper, but whichever option you choose, make sure to shop around for deals and book well ahead of time to get the best-value fares.

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You and your pets stay in your vehicle throughout the journey - sit back and relax, it only takes 35 minutes to cross.

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It is estimated that the walk from Folkestone to Calais, which is highly dangerous due to the vacuum effect of speeding trains, would take around 15 hours to walk.

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1 Answer. To allow for adequate fire suppression, in the event of a vehicle fire in the tunnel. The tunnel's fire suppression system depends upon complete mixing of the released halon gas with all air, without having pockets of high (or low) halon concentration.

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You cannot travel as a foot passenger on Eurotunnel, but you are able to take a bicycle.

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The tunnel is actually designed to leak. As Eurotunnel explain on their website, 'seawater from the rocks above the tunnel drips through and is then pumped away.

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The Laerdal Tunnel in western Norway is the longest road tunnel in the world. It takes about 20 minutes to pass through the tunnel. Brightly colored lights placed every six kilometers help drivers stay alert.

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Engineers used two systems of tunnel linings – cast iron segments bolted together and precast concrete rings. The TBMs excavated a huge amount of chalk. On the French side, the chalk was crushed, mixed with water, and pumped inland behind a specially built dam 37m high.

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