With spalled concrete debris from rings in the north running tube and most of the train having been only just removed, French rail accident investigators (BEA-TT) remain in possession of the fire-damaged stretch of the Channel Tunnel almost a month after the blaze – and told T&TI their probe has some time to go yet.
The owner and operator, Eurotunnel, has been unable to undertake a formal survey of the damaged section – “Interval 6” – due to the legal constraints of the BEA-TT investigating police and local courts. No verdict has been given for the cause of the fire.
However, the company has appointed Freyssinet to lead the civil works for the repairs, which will be supervised by SETEC. The track, catenary and other equipment will be repaired by ETF and Vinci, respectively.
Options for the lining and equipment have been drawn up. Eurotunnel said the works are to be completed by mid-February and the budget is Euro60M (US$81M).
The accident on a France-bound shuttle happened approximately 4km beyond the last crossover cavern and some 11km from the French portal, putting it in French territory. There were no casualties. Emergency services took passengers and crew out via a cross passage to the service tunnel.
Like in the last major blaze, in 1996 and also involving a freight shuttle with lorries in Interval 6, it is expected that, the accident of 11 September will also have resulted in sections of severe spalling of the concrete rings. No information has been given on the extent of the lining damage, but repairs took half a year after the 1996 fire.
The shuttle trains are approximately 800m long and most wagons were ablaze. It is estimated that fire damaged section may extend for approximately 700m, but Eurotunnel said there was no indication yet of the extent of such stretches. Neither was there information that colliery rings have been employed to ensure structural bracing, as done following the previous incident.
Soot and smoke particle pollutants had been blown down the north tunnel by emergency ventilation used to keep the air clear at the untouched front of the burning train. Following the limited resumption of services using only the south tunnel, Eurotunnel began cleaning work on the other, accessible stretches of the north tube – Interval 2, nearest UK, and Interval 4 between the crossover caverns. During the early recovery stages there was also provision made for a special train with medical isotopes to pass through carrying supplies for the UK.
A cleaning train was set to work with spray product on Intervals 2 & 4, and by late September both sections were back in operation.
Eurotunnel’s Q3 revenues were down an estimated Euro22M (US$30M) due to the incident.
Fire damaged wagons
