13.01.15
Eurotunnel increases fleet strength with £31m order
Eurotunnel has ordered three new freight shuttles for its fleet to meet the “growing demand” of cross-Channel traffic flows.
The Channel Tunnel operator, which is also seeking a buyer for its MyFerryLink business after a UK court upheld a regulator’s decision blocking it from operating cross-Channel sailings between Dover and Calais, has placed the €40m (£31.2m) order with WBN Waggonbrau Niesky GmbH.
The investment will fund the construction of the three new shuttles, each 800m long, with 32 carrying wagons, three loader wagons and a carriage to transport the truck drivers.
Eurotunnel added that, in order to reach the target of transporting two million trucks per year in 2020, these new additions to its existing 15-stong fleet will enable it to increase capacity by 20% and to run up to eight departures per hour at peak, compared to six currently.
Michel Boudoussier, chief operating officer – concession of Groupe Eurotunnel, said: “As the world leader in the rolling motorway industry, Eurotunnel has been able to draw upon its 20 years of experience in the design of these third generation shuttles. The consultation that we led confirmed that we are at the leading edge of railway development”.
Following a European tender process, the order for three new shuttles has been supported by a €30m (£23.4m) programme of investments in the expansion of the terminals in Folkestone and Coquelles, which will ensure the “fluidity” of traffic across the Eurotunnel site.
The new shuttles will be built using the latest technology to ensure that energy efficiency and strength are coupled with reliability. They will also be fully interoperable with the existing shuttles. Delivery is set for the end of 2016 and early 2017.
(Image source: Chris Ison/PA Wire)
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