Channel Tunnel Opens
The Channel Tunnel linking England and France opened for passenger services
November 14, 1994
Connecting Two Worlds Under the Sea
The Channel Tunnel — commonly known as the Chunnel — opened to the public on November 14, 1994, linking Folkestone in England with Coquelles near Calais in France beneath the English Channel. At 50.5 kilometers (31.4 miles), it is the world's longest undersea tunnel and the second-longest railway tunnel overall. Three separate tunnels make up the system: two rail tunnels for passenger and freight trains, and a smaller central service tunnel. The project had been discussed and proposed for nearly 200 years before construction finally began in 1988, with boring machines working from both sides of the Channel simultaneously.
Building the Impossible
Construction of the Channel Tunnel was one of the largest engineering projects in history. At its peak, over 13,000 workers were employed on both sides. Eleven tunnel boring machines — some as large as 200 meters long — drilled through chalk marl beneath the seabed. The two boring teams from England and France met in the middle on December 1, 1990 — a historic handshake beneath the Channel. The project cost approximately £9 billion, nearly double the original estimate, and was financed entirely by private investors rather than governments. Several construction companies nearly went bankrupt before the tunnel was complete.
Transforming Travel Between Britain and France
The Eurostar high-speed train service, which runs through the tunnel, has dramatically changed travel between London, Paris, and Brussels. The journey from London St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord takes about 2 hours and 15 minutes — faster than flying once airport check-in time is included. Le Shuttle carries cars and trucks on flatbed trains, eliminating the need for a ferry crossing. The tunnel handles over 20 million passengers and 20 million tonnes of freight annually. You can use the time zone converter to check current times in London and Paris — two cities now physically connected beneath the sea.