Channel Tunnel Queue

A snowHead

thefatcontroller, jeez, that was the tester.

pam w, I'll do my very best. Vredesteins rock eh?

Shimmy Alcott, I may be very drunk but I could certainly live without a huge bummer.

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

[quote="achilles"][b]Colin B[/b], The BBC seems to have missed the obvious point that the tunnel has operated in cold weather before - I wonder why there is a problem this time round. [/quote]

Apparently, its the wrong kind of snow. Where have the UK heard that excuse before?

E* are quickly designing new screens to shield the trains from the oh so very large troublesome snowflakes. Beggars belief.

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We're due to use eurotunnel tomorrow at 6am.
I was fairly "relaxed" about all of this up to last night...
Not so sure now...
First time we "treat" ourselves to the tunnel as well! Laughing

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Kruisler, I get the impression Eurotunnel (and P+O etc.) are all working normally now. Operation Stack being moved too, I gather, with freight moving via tunnel.
Obviously Eurostar is still knackered, despite the fact the temperatures have increased 10C in the last 24hours.

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Kruisler, passenger information line is saying there are currently no delays on the approach to the tunnel, and delays of up to one hour due to capacity restrictions and snow in both French and uk terminals.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Booked on to a shuttle on Wednesday morning hope 06.20 hrs if it is all running smoothly by then? Now 4 up after my childrens adventure was curtailed by Eurostar on Saturday! First time in about 5 years we have used the tunnel may be back on the ferries for the Easter trip!

After all it is free

Fogliettaz, we'll be on a lunchtime one.

andy, Helen Beaumont,

Thanks. I also called the information line after posting and was reassured. Last night it said normal services but long delays on approach + op stack so wasn't sure how long it would take to clear..
all good news then..fingers crossed.

Yesterday, I put the ski/board carrier on the roof bars. Something unfeasibly "common" when I was living in Toulouse, but yesterday I was like a kid! Embarassed

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Kruisler,

. Bars and roofbox wnet on ours yesterday too , hubby was frozen by the time he had finished. Have to put the disorganised piles of stuff into some sort of order tonight, and get the car packed tomorrow evening.

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Helen Beaumont,

That'll be me tonight. "Get clothes in suit cases then throw everything else in car as it is". Note to self: leave a couple of spaces on back seats for kids! Toofy Grin

I feared the roof bar exercise yesterday, what with the cold and one finger in a splint. But I think that focussed my mind and body 'cos it only took me about 10/15 mins all in.. Cool

(then another 5 min looking at said vehicle with snowboard on thinking "how cool does my car look with this on!")

snow reports

The media suggest E* are using Monday to test higher-rated extreme-weather systems for their trains, then to install the best (yet unproven) system throughout their rolling stock in the afternoon. Some might wonder why their isn't a tried-and-tested system available off the shelf for this 'extreme' weather - not exactly Siberian is it! Seasons Greetings and good luck on your journeys.

Kruisler, fortunately it all went smoothly, as I managed to get some replacement hinges for our box, the other ones had broken in a strong wind. All fingers still intact,

You know it makes sense.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

I wouldn't have thought there is anywhere in Siberia that experiences such a dramatic change of temperature from outside the tunnel to inside. Although it then raises the question why hasn't it happened before in similar conditions? Also in the long Alpine tunnels which I would imagine would get pretty hot inside with often similar winter conditions when they enter the tunnels. All a bit odd.

A snowHead

Call from SamM and Al Phorn at 0800 - they'd just reached Thyon, after leaving home at 1800 Friday Shocked

A snowHead

Do we want services like Eurostar and Eurotunnel to:
a) be hideously over-engineered to cope with absolutely any combination of conditions that could ever possibly occur but be considerably more expensive?
b) cope with 99.5% of conditions and be reasonably priced but fail every now and again giving the great British public some thing to complain about?

I'm all for (b) - it's a tight decision but giving us the change for a good old whinge swings it for me.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

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The snow has been far too fluffy. Doh! Echoes of 'leaves on the line'. I wonder if this is evidence of a commercially & financially fragile company having no real contingencies (plan B, C, D), no back-up staffing plan (urgent assistance & rostering) and scarce communication with the customer (alternatives & guidance). E* backlog was at 58,000 people Sunday evening. Foot passengers at St Pancras were eventually being transferred by coach to channel ports for ferries. Some people have been stuck for more than three days.

Failing to plan is planning to fail. Tree's have co-existed beside rail lines for as long as it has snowed heavily. Its not about over-engineering its about planning and rapid contingencies. Its unbelievable that nothing tried and tested was available off the shelf. Lets face it, global warming and extreme weather conditions have been forcing themselves upon us for more than a decade now. Trains throughout Europe and other continents usually continue to travel in much worse environment variations except in disasters.

Eurostar commercial director Nick Mercer said three test trains sent through the Channel Tunnel on Sunday ran successfully, but that it became clear that the especially bad weather meant that snow was being sucked into the trains in a way "that has never happened before."

Eurostar website Q&A latest as of now: "We strongly advise passengers whose travel is non-essential to change their booking to a later date or claim a refund on their tickets. This can be done free of charge through your original point of sale up to two months after the original date of travel. For customers who have been unable to travel over the last few days, Eurostar will cover the cost of out-of pocket expenses, for example, hotels and taxis. Full details of our compensation policy are in the relevant FAQ. We will provide a further update on our services by 18.00 on Monday evening."

Even the governments either side of the tunnel are dismayed. An announcement is expected 1800hrs Mon 21st Dec from E*, on whether or not they are able to re-commence regular trains - with extra trains likely to be scheduled to clear the backlog.

When it works it great. But that doesn't mean that I shouldn't be concerned about what we are seeing from a large commercial transportation organisation.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

While I have every sympathy for those involved, particualrly as I do not know of any transport organisiation that is capable of commuicating timely and accurate information re disruption to passengers, is there a chance that this will lead to a reduction in smug reponses of "We drive" or "I take the train" when anyone raises airport flight delys in future? wink

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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

After all it is free

We left home at 09:30 Friday and actually managed to get on to the Eurotunnel for the 16:20 train, one hour later than booked, we had caught up with the M20 carpark but fortunately the jack knifed lorries had been moved so the M20 was moving although slowly, the queue at the tunnel was horrid.

The train did leave on time but was stuck at Calais as the ramps had so much snow on so the cars couldn't get out until the gritters came - eventually cars were let off one at a time with the instruction of 'out your foot down and go for it' , there was a little man with a broom at the top of the ramp.

Calais was in gridlock and the roads were moving at a pace that was not reasonable but we did get to Reims at midnight, approx 4 hours later than planned.

The journey down France on Saturday was reasonable although the cold froze up all the windscreen washer mechanism, despite the almost neat washer fluid in it, so there was no vision through the windscreen - most people drove blindly in to the sun and stopped when it became too bad, trying to clean the windscreen with deicer when able to stop and watching it freeze as it went across the screen. THen met the rest of Europe trying to travel through Chamberey, and slowed down somewhat. Arrived in Aime about 4 hours later than expected.

Finally in resort on Sunday a.m. to lovely sunny day and clear roads.

In all our journey was tortuous but we got here and were very very lucky judging by the reports on the news and what you have all said above.

Good luck to those still trying to arrive some where, it will be worth it in the end

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The snow here last Friday was very fine and sugary and maybe it was this that enabled it to get past the air filters. As it melted onto the electrics inside the tunnel, bang. If it had been the normal wet stuff we get then maybe it wouldnt have been a problem

snow reports

BergenBergen, I was thinking the same thing. Clearing my car in Bracknell on Friday I was surprised how light & powdery the snow was. Not to defend "the wrong sort of snow" justification but as an engineer and product designer it's amazing how circumstances can catch you out. You can't test for everything. Well not without infinite time and budget - which is usually almost the opposite of reality.

Achilles It is impressive if they can come up with a solution this quick but I suspect it involved more bodge-alation tape and sticky back plastic than robust design and manufacture...

My money is that "solution" is little more than a plastic bucket to stop the water dripping in Laughing

But hey if it works who cares

You know it makes sense.

Latest update from Eurotunnel website.

Folkestone to Calais

Eurotunnel Shuttle services are currently running, but very heavy traffic levels throughout the day (the residue from the incidents with broken down Eurostar trains on Friday night) means that the Folkestone Terminal has been at saturation point for several hours.

Customers without a booking for travel between 18:00 on Monday 21st December and 09:00 on Tuesday 22nd December are advised NOT to make their way to Eurotunnel as they will NOT be able to travel. Please call our Contact Centre on 08443 35 35 35 from 08:00 on Tuesday 22nd December, to re-arrange your booking to an alternative date.

Please note that day trip bookings have been cancelled for travel on Monday 21st and Tuesday 22nd.

Eurotunnel apologises to customers for extended delays during these difficult times.

Please refer back to our website after 09:00 for further updates.

Calais to Folkestone

Customers without a booking for travel between 18:00 on Monday 21st December and 09:00 on Tuesday 22nd December are advised NOT to make their way to Eurotunnel as they will NOT be able to travel. Please call our Contact Centre on 0810 63 03 04 from 09:00 (local time) on Tuesday 22nd December, to re-arrange your booking to an alternative date.

Please note that day trip bookings have been cancelled for travel on Monday 21st and Tuesday 22nd.

Eurotunnel apologises to customers for extended delays during these difficult times.

Please refer back to our website after 09:00 for further updates.

21/12/2009 18:32

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Helen Beaumont, I have cancelled my Wednesday am crossing and booked the ferry tomorrow evening, I do not want to spend tomorrow thinking are we or arn't we. The tunnel ticket have been left open for our Easter break. To top it all I said to my 2 teenagers that they could go on Eurostar last Saturday and open the apartment up, needless to say they are now coming with us.

A snowHead

Fogliettaz, hmm, I can't go any earlier than Wednesday lunchtime, I have to work until 6pm tomorrow, and we're 5 hours away. I will make a decision tomorrow.

A snowHead

Helen Beaumont, I read that and thought what about those with a booking, it only mentions passengers without bookings!

Fogliettaz, we've still got our wednesday a.m tunnel booking but I've also booked the ferry, although when I looked this evening they were showing delays of 2 hours and heavy traffic around Dover Crying or Very sad

Hopefully things will improve tomorrow Puzzled

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

BergenBergen: while companies understandably can't test for everything, but E*'s rapid resolution proves that a contingency was well within their grasp. Testing for likelihoods is smart, planning for extreme weather is admirable as is ensuring your vast number of winter sports customers travelling for Christmas get basic supplies and regular communications. Eurostar Press Office | +44 (0) 20 7843 5500 | press.office@eurostar.co.uk

Achilles: agree, seems curious that a multi-million rolling stock can be upgraded so rapidly.

Apparently; it was P&O that took the initiative to assist passengers across the Channel and on to Paris or Brussels. Spokesman Chris Laming said "... We've spoken to Eurostar about this arrangement and they've agreed to pick up the tab, and we'll certainly send them the bill."

Anyway, pleased to see the tunnel back in operation even if at reduced level. But judging by the snowfall that this afternoon hit SE England all travellers should prepare for a difficult lengthy journey. Good luck all.

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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Boris, yes , but this is Eurostar, not Eurotunnel. They are different companies.

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Helen Beaumont, oops - didn't spot that bit Embarassed

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

After all it is free

Higs, I'm starting to get a bit fed up of explaining it to people this week wink

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