andi_cardiff:
I was chatting to one of the tunnel engineers a few nights ago, said it will be at least a few weeks to repair due to the power failures and damage caused from the fire.
It’s a nightmare at the moment living around Ashford, always gets like this when implement this. Surely after all these years they will figure out a suitable alternative.
Haven’t there been discussions for a site for operation stack and general truck park for years, but nobody want to pay for it, and nobody wants it near them?
Indeed, every year the discussion comes up, and every year we have the ideas of possible locations being vetoed by locals, the same locals complaining about the motorway being blocked.
These Eurotunnel wallahs boil my ■■■■. Having effectively managed to put most of their competitors out of business, hundreds if not thousands out of work, completely closed down ferry operations out of Folkestone, Eurotunnel again subject freight drivers and anyone wanting to travel in mid and east Kent to ongoing chaos. I can understand and sympathise with extreme weather conditions interrupting sea travel, there is nothing much that can be done about it. But the tunnel problems are all man-made. If the company had not been so greedy then Dover and Folkestone would have been able to cope with the increase in traffic.
cav551:
These Eurotunnel wallahs boil my ■■■■. Having effectively managed to put most of their competitors out of business, hundreds if not thousands out of work, completely closed down ferry operations out of Folkestone, Eurotunnel again subject freight drivers and anyone wanting to travel in mid and east Kent to ongoing chaos. I can understand and sympathise with extreme weather conditions interrupting sea travel, there is nothing much that can be done about it. But the tunnel problems are all man-made. If the company had not been so greedy then Dover and Folkestone would have been able to cope with the increase in traffic.
Iirc the ferries stopped in any real capacity in Folkestone before the tunnel opened all that was left was the aging and expensive to maintain hovercrafts which didn’t carry trucks. There is now one more ferry firm in dover all with much larger ships than they had before the tunnel opened . its only about the last 7 years the tunnel has been running any where near capacity . Before the tunnel opened there was about 2500 trucks per day run thru dover now there is about 5500 per day run thru dover and a similar amount thru the tunnel .dover now is pretty much at as big as its going to get as its run out or space. Folkestone as a port will have never been able to handle trucks in much of a capacity .I think Ramsgate to Dunkirk with a holding area on part of Manston airport would be a wise move
I could imagine the problems with ilegals if a bridge was built across the channel,I bet there are quite a few dead would be ilegals down in the tunnels that have fell off trains or been hit by them thinking they could walk through the tunnel, come to think of it what measures apart from trains are there in the tunnel to prevent ilegals or rabbid animals getting in to the uk?
toby1234abc:
A pizza delivery business would make a fortune selling food to stuck drivers, or any van that sells hot food and drinks.
Isn’t that what the “police” are there for though - to stop “hawkers” or anyone else who might actually be useful and wanted on the scene from turning up?
A mobile truck valeter that could vacummn the cab out while waiting and give the cab a once over with polish, a man in a van selling freshwater, but you are right , the Police will stop an entrepreneur.
tommy t:
I could imagine the problems with ilegals if a bridge was built across the channel,I bet there are quite a few dead would be ilegals down in the tunnels that have fell off trains or been hit by them thinking they could walk through the tunnel, come to think of it what measures apart from trains are there in the tunnel to prevent ilegals or rabbid animals getting in to the uk?
Well put it this way I dont think its that easy to just wander into a tunnel. Thats not to say it never happens but it is fairly secure, if for nothing else for the security of their trains.
tommy t:
I could imagine the problems with ilegals if a bridge was built across the channel,I bet there are quite a few dead would be ilegals down in the tunnels that have fell off trains or been hit by them thinking they could walk through the tunnel, come to think of it what measures apart from trains are there in the tunnel to prevent ilegals or rabbid animals getting in to the uk?
Well put it this way I dont think its that easy to just wander into a tunnel. Thats not to say it never happens but it is fairly secure, if for nothing else for the security of their trains.
There are doors just inside the tunnels that open just in time for the train to go thru so if they do manage to get that close they are caught on camera waiting for the doors to open . But it has been known for them to on a rare occasion to manage it .
It didnt help in dover with p&o having a ferry down this week there is a extension being made at the moment there will be more lanes and parking for over a 100 trucks think they are moving the freight office aswell,think they are doing ths same on calais side
