![]() ![]() When loading, vehicles drive between carriages, but the carriages are closed off individually when the train moves. Eurotunnel will occasionally run the double-deck carriages at "half full," closing the top deck to reduce staffing costs. Ordinary cars can also be placed in the unused portion of single deck wagons. Higher or longer vehicles, such as motorhomes, coaches and vehicles pulling a trailer are loaded onto the single deck portion of the shuttle. Vehicles under 1.85 metres (6 ft 1 in) in height are typically loaded onto the double deck portion of the shuttle. Double deck loader wagons also have a ramp that allows vehicles to access the upper level. Loading/unloading wagons also have plates that allow vehicles to travel between the train carriage and the platform. Between cars are fire resistant doors that open for loading vehicles and close for travel through the tunnel. Each section has a total of 14 wagons, 12 which carry vehicles plus a loading/unloading wagon on either side. One section is single deck and the other is double deck. The train is made up of two sections coupled together. LeShuttle has nine car shuttle trains for passenger vehicles, each with a locomotive at each end and a series of fully enclosed vehicle carrying wagons (train cars) in between, each 26 metres (85 ft 4 in) long. ![]() As a result, they cannot travel outside the tunnel and its two terminals onto the national railways. The carriages used for the shuttle have a larger loading gauge than either British or French railways. This evens the wear on the wheels of the shuttle locomotives and carriages, as each set (left or right) spends only half the time at the outer edge of the line traversing the curves.ĭepending on traffic, each hour, there are between two and four passenger vehicle shuttle trains departures and between four and seven heavy goods vehicle shuttle departures.Ĭarriages Boarding at the Calais Terminal Exterior of passenger shuttle carriages, with cars queuing to board (2010) Interior of a passenger shuttle carriageĪ LeShuttle train is about 775 metres (2,540 ft) long and made from stainless steel. The rail loop at Folkestone runs clockwise and is mostly in a cut-and-cover tunnel, whereas the loop at Coquelles goes anti-clockwise and out in the open. The complete journey takes at least 1 hour and 30 minutes between the highways, with the platform-to-platform crossing being 35 minutes long. Meanwhile for passengers, they drive their vehicles off of the train and onto the French A16 autoroute or the British M20 motorway with no further controls. It is then unloaded and reloaded with a new set of vehicles just over half an hour. After a train emerges from the tunnel, about 22 minutes later, it travels around the loop and stops at the terminal platform. Once boarding is complete, safety announcements are played through the public address system and the train departs once the loading wagons are prepared for departure. En route to the train, passengers travel through the juxtaposed control area and are led into queues to drive onto the train. If the vehicle is too early for its booked train, the passengers may visit the terminal building with cafés and duty-free shopping, driving onto the train once called to do so. On arrival at the terminal, having booked beforehand or not, vehicles can check in (in separate freight/passenger booths). See also: Eurotunnel Folkestone Terminal and Eurotunnel Calais Terminalīoth terminals are provided with vehicle check-in booths and juxtaposed controls (where pre-boarding immigration and customs checks are carried out by the French Border Police, French Customs and the UK Border Force at the same location), a large convenience outlet, long loading platforms and a loop of track. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |