It was May 6, 1994. 30 years ago to the day, President François Mitterrand and Queen Elizabeth II inaugurated the Channel Tunnel. 200 years after the wildest dreams, the impossible finally came true: a remarkable technological advance and a major European political boldness that marked the 20th century. Since then, 500 million people have taken the Channel Tunnel. We’ll take you on an exceptional morning at Coquelles, the French terminal of the Eurotunnel.
What there is to know
Every day 400 trains or shuttles use this unique land route between France and England. This tunnel under the Channel in three decades has become a banal alternative to the plane, to the ferries to reach the English coasts from France but before it, it was a dream. For 200 years, both sides wished for it or feared it.
But on May 6, 1994, it became very real for everyone to see. It had been running for some time, but that day it was the Queen herself and her husband who crossed the Channel underground with journalists from all over the world.
François Mitterand, then President of the Republic, was there to welcome them in Coquelles, in Pas de Calais, declaring: “We now have a land border, Madam.” The photos went around the world. And 500 million people have since made, like them, a moving journey that will be remembered for life. Crossing the Channel Tunnel remains a unique experience.
Also read: 30 years of the Channel Tunnel: “We now have, Madam, a land border”, its history in 7 dates
It was 30 years ago, at 12:40 p.m….on May 6, 1994. The Eurostar carrying Queen Elizabeth II to Coquelles arrived at its destination. French President François Mitterrand arrives from Paris with another train and welcomes His Majesty at the Eurotunnel terminal.
•
© JACQUES DEMARTHON / AFP
These 50.5 km of railway highway, largely under the sea, allow tens of thousands of passengers each year to cross the Channel in 35 minutes.
From one terminal to another, it’s a 35-minute journey.
•
© Anais Denis / France Télévisions
Here are some key tunnel figures to know:
This May 6, 2024, we take you into the history of this tunnel, its key figures, its secrets… we will follow closely until 1 p.m. the commemorative day organized in Coquelles in the presence of the French and British media. The tunnel is also a universe, an enormous machine to ensure the safety and fluidity of traffic.
Read all
#French
