Groupe Eurotunnel extends the ETICA Programme to drive the development of cross-Channel Rail Freight
Rail freight traffic through the Channel Tunnel having increased by 10% in 2013 and by 13% in the first quarter of 2014, Eurotunnel has decided to reinforce its efforts to support the development of this traffic.
Eurotunnel has also ensured that the surcharge established by Réseau Ferré de France for security at Fréthun will be removed.
On top of these changes, Eurotunnel will commit to not increasing its freight charges until the end of 2018.
The goal is to generate a doubling of the number of trains to 5,000 per year in 2018. This objective could be achieved more easily if the other involved parties, amongst whom the principals are RFF and Network Rail supported the creation of a European Freight Corridor between Continental Europe and the United Kingdom and helped to remove the barriers which limit interoperability between networks.
These conditions will enter into service from June 2014 – following consultation with the Intergovernmental Commission and the other parties.
They conform to European legislation and the founding texts of the Concession. The European Commission has confirmed that the general principals of Eurotunnel’s access charging structure conform with European regulation and has just notified the two governments that the infraction proceedings mentioned in the Reasoned Opinion of 20 June 2013, linked to the level of Tunnel access charges and the allocation of capacity will be dropped.
