Eurotunnel boosts freight capacity at Folkestone

Eurotunnel has boosted capacity at its Folkestone terminal in a move that promises to increase traffic flow to up to 300 vehicles per hour.

The five new access lanes and check-in facility for trucks are part of Eurotunnel’s Terminal 2015 Project, launched last July.

The project aims to expand capacity and increase flow rates at both terminals, provide greater security for trucks at the Coquelles terminal, in response to the migrant crisis, and improve traffic flow in Kent.

Eurotunnel has also bought three new freight shuttles which will be launched later this year.

This latest phase comes as the operator continues to struggle with migrants attempting to break into the tunnel area at its Coquelles terminal in France. It was forced to delay shuttles this weekend after the discovery of the body of a teenage migrant on the roof of one of its trains.

The five new access lanes at Folkestone aim to improve local congestion by speeding up traffic flow off the M20 at junction 11A.

The new check-in facility has a capacity of up to 300 vehicles per hour and will allow Eurotunnel to process enough trucks to fill a shuttle departure every seven and a half minutes, once the new shuttles come into service later this year.

Eurotunnel, which saw its revenues rise 5% year on year to £930m in 2015, is predicting its truck carrying rates to rise from 1.5 million a year to 2 million a year over the next ten years.

Jacques Gounon, chairman and chief executive officer of Groupe Eurotunnel SE said: “The UK economy continues to grow and trade with Europe is a huge part of that.

"This new access and check-in facility for trucks will ensure that Eurotunnel is in good shape to carry the commercial loads that the UK economy generates and will help keep traffic flowing in Kent”.

Image: Press Association