Eurotunnel inaugurates new Freight Shuttles to meet traffic growth
Jacques Gounon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Groupe Eurotunnel SE, accompanied by Xavier Bertrand, President of the Hauts-de-France Region, today inaugurated the first of three new, third generation Freight Shuttles.
With the boom in the digital economy and the concentration of cross-Channel traffic onto the shortest routes, particularly in light of environmental concerns, the market for Eurotunnel’s Le Shuttle Freight is set to continue its growth over the coming years. In response to this demand and to reach its objective of transporting 2 million trucks in 2020, Eurotunnel has invested €40 million to acquire three new, 800m long Freight Shuttles, each made up of 32 carrier wagons, three loaders and a club car for the truck drivers.
Made to order by WBN Waggonbau Niesky GmbH for Eurotunnel, and benefitting from the latest developments in technology to ensure energy efficiency, strength and reliability, these three new Shuttles will strengthen the existing fleet and bring an additional 20% capacity, enabling Eurotunnel to offer up to 8 departures per hour.
Jacques Gounon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Groupe Eurotunnel, stated:
“With the entry into service of three new Freight Shuttles, for the first time since January 1999, Eurotunnel starts a new phase of its development by offering, on top of the speed of crossing, an unrivalled frequency of departure”.
