Channel Tunnel
Channel Tunnel was officially opened on May 6, 1994, by Queen Elizabeth II and President François Mitterrand, creating a 50-kilometer rail link under the English Channel between Folkestone in England and Coquelles in France.
What happened and why it matters
The tunnel gave trucks and freight trains a fixed, weather-resistant link between Britain and continental Europe, and it is one of the main routes for goods crossing the Channel. Eurotunnel's shuttle trains carry trucks on rail wagons between terminals near Folkestone and Calais, while through freight trains run between the British and European rail networks. Passenger Eurostar service began in November 1994. For fulfillment operators, the tunnel and the Dover ferries carry most road freight between the UK and the EU, and since Brexit both require customs and safety declarations, so border paperwork rather than the crossing itself often decides transit time.
Related events
Sources
- English Channel tunnel opens (HISTORY.com) history.com
- Channel Tunnel (Encyclopaedia Britannica) britannica.com