 Poster: A snowHead
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I travel the M20 from jct 9 or 10 weekly so I thought I'd post updates on the tunnel, the short sea ferries and
Operation stack.
The tunnel is still suffering from the recent fire and they have only just pulled the burnt out parts of the train.
This means the tunnel repair work has not started and will not start until the French investigative authorities allow it.
So, services aren't complete but new scheduling is in place so if you can get a booking you should be able to cross at that time.
Journey times of the trains will have to take longer as they can't put a train the full lenght of the damaged tunnel
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/3117711/Fire-damaged-part-of-Eurotunnel-train-removed.html
Work on the latest way of implementing Operation Stack looks to be complete as I drove through the other day. This, in operation should be called 1st stage Operation stack and it means that cars are no longer taken off the M20 and re-routed via the old A20..and therefore adding lots of time to the journey.... Cars do leave the M20 at jct 11 but only to seperate them from lorry traffic. They then rejoin the M20 in a contra-flow system on the west bound lanes so the journey is only slowed down by the 50mph limit. Unless you are unlucky enough to be caught at the time of implenmentaion of Stack, drivers of cars will carry on and barely lose any time, IMV. to Dover.
I am not sure how they re-route cars onto the tunnel yet ...as I haven't needed to travel there so I will post when I find out.
More as it happens ..hopefully
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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JT, Useful stuff!
We travelled through the tunnel last Tuesday....Calais to Folkstone took just 40mins so the crossing time is hardly much longer than before. We were travelling at 6pm and the next train wasn't until 8pm so it's worth making sure you're not late for your slot!! The train was also packed to the gunnels....no space anywhere with cars (including us) filling up the spaces on the double height carriages.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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homphomp, yes, they don't want to say by how much capacity is reduced but with one section out they cannot run a train completely through one tunnel, it has to cross over and then that complicates and compromises the schedule.
Lots of rumours but not worth repeating. If you have booked and make that train you'll be ok. If you miss it and need to get the next one, that will be where the problems comes.
These issues feed on down to the ferries who are trying to take the overflow.. If weather kicks in then OP Stack will be quite common this year. The police and authorities are onto it so Stack should work better....
but the backlogs will be longer to clear.
Interesting times for a good few months, I'd say
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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We are off on the tunnel early tomorrow morning so hopefully should be ok at that time
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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JT, thanks for that, please keep it going when you can. Just had this update from Eurotunnel:-
I am pleased to announce an increase in departure frequency from one shuttle every two hours to a minimum of one shuttle every 90 minutes (see below).
One departure every 90 minutes Monday – Friday
Two departures every 90 minutes Saturdays & Sundays
Note: We are also running an overnight service
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Yoda,
2 trains every 90mins over the weekend point to FR8 not running those times...and I think the ferries get market share anyway.
Anyway, again, doesn't matter, 2 trains for Tourist are better than one..
I'll update as frequently as I can which should be at least once or twice a week min.
Mouth, I'll post tonight about the state of the roads....that should give an idication that all is running to plan.
In general delays build up during the day and the late evenings/early-early morining is the time to clear. Ferries sometimes lay over at night as the traffic isn't there so this is the time to eat into the backlogs of Stack.
The idea is to start the next day with a clean slate before rush hours and stuff
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M20 from jct 10 is clear and no stack.
Mouth, The M20 will flag roadworks from jct 11 onwards but these are nothing to worry about. Speed is 50mph but no static cameras.
You should drive straight in the tunnel complex as I can see no issues when I passed.
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JT, Thx for the update 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Stage 11 of OP stack was in place this evening as far as the port of Dover goes as there was strike action in Calais ealier today. So this would have cleared any FR8 from around Maidstone which is where stage 11 is parked.
The ferries have caught up with this now so there should be no traffic of the roads (stacked) and the drive through should be ok.
I'd still have traffic news on though, just in case.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Quote: |
it means that cars are no longer taken off the M20 and re-routed via the old A20
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Hurrah for that!
We got caught in Op Stack a few years ago when Kent was "paralyzed" by a bit of snow - all traffic was being sent on the A20 past Leeds Castle and up some fairly steep hills - of course all the lorries got stuck on them and no-one went anywhere - then the gritters and snowploughs couldn't get through cos of the jams  I'm sure it would have been safer to keep one lane open of the M20 for through traffic.
It took us just under 6-hours to get from Leeds Castle to Ashford
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Form Kent Police today
Advice to hauliers and motorists should Dover ferry services be affected by port workers' planned strike next week
Kent Police is warning that the county potentially faces freight queues and traffic delays next week if ferry crossings at the Port of Dover are affected by a planned 48-hour strike.
A group of Dover Harbour Board workers belonging to the union Unite are planning their action from 7am on Tuesday 18 November until 7am on Thursday 20 November.
Dover Harbour Board is confident the port can still operate the majority of services. However, if ferry crossings are affected and a backlog of traffic builds up, Kent Police will need to introduce Operation Stack.
Operation Stack is the policing operation to queue cross-Channel freight traffic using sections of the M20 motorway, to help prevent other areas of the county being gridlocked.
Kent Police is in contact with both Dover Harbour Board and union representatives as officers plan the necessary resources, police officers and staff to run Operation Stack if it needs to be implemented and also provide policing for the union action.
If Op Stack is put in place as an emergency measure, hauliers, lorry drivers and motorists are urged to consider whether their journeys are absolutely necessary and where possible to avoid travelling should the strike go ahead.
People living around the Ashford and Maidstone areas should also consider alternatives to avoid being caught in congestion, if they can do so.
Assistant Chief Constable Allyn Thomas said: 'People living, working or regularly travelling in Kent know from experience to try to stagger journeys, car share, work from home or not make a trip unless it is absolutely necessary.
'We would particularly appeal to hauliers and lorry drivers to plan their schedules around this intended strike if at all possible and it will prevent you being delayed for some considerable time should Operation Stack be introduced.'
If the strike goes ahead, Dover Harbour Board says it intends to keep the port open for business. However, the volume of freight travelling through Kent on its way to continental Europe is usually at its peak midweek, so if traffic backs up as a result of the strike Kent Police may need to put in both phases of Stack at the same time.
Phase two and one together
Phase two operates by closing the M20 motorway coastbound between junctions 8 (Leeds Castle) and 9 (Ashford West). Non-freight traffic is diverted onto the A20.
Phase one operates by closing junctions 11 (Hythe) and 12 (Cheriton) coastbound, with a contra-flow in place to allow traffic to continue to flow in both directions when lorries are being queued coastbound.
Good hunting....
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