Fire closes Eurotunnel services

[Mojo]

From BBC News - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7610919.stm

Train traffic through the Channel Tunnel, which links England and France, has been suspended following a fire, officials said.

No-one was injured in the blaze that began at 1300 GMT in a freight train about seven miles from the French coast, Eurotunnel officials said.

About 30 people who were on the train - most of them said to be lorry drivers - were evacuated safetly from the tunnel.

French firefighters have now brought the blaze under control.

A Eurotunnel spokeswoman was unable to say when services through the tunnel would resume.

 

[P156KWJ]

ooh, not good, bet that's a headache for Eurostar and its customers

 

[JoshW1992]

Oh darn it... that means the majority of lorries in the UK, heading to France, have to now pass right past my front door on the way to the Dover Docks.

 

[Phoenix]

Any ideas of what caused the blaze and is the Loco okay I wouldn't want anything to happen to the 9's.

 

[P156KWJ]

Any ideas of what caused the blaze and is the Loco okay I wouldn't want anything to happen to the 9's.

would you not be more concerned for the individuals involved? :???:

 

[devon_metro]

ooh, not good, bet that's a headache for Eurostar and its customers

Doesn't E* use a different tunnel?

 

[JoshW1992]

Doesn't E* use a different tunnel?

No, same one

 

[laseandre]

No, it's three tunnels in total. 1 Francebound, 1 Endlandbound and 1 service tunnel (no tracks, just a road for emergency and maintenance vehicles).

 

[P156KWJ]

very true, and they crossover half way

 

[JoshW1992]

No, it's three tunnels in total. 1 Francebound, 1 Endlandbound and 1 service tunnel (no tracks, just a road for emergency and maintenance vehicles).

Yeah, the Service tunnel runs through the middle.

 

[adamp]

What locomotives have been used? I.e the one which has caught fire.

-Adam

 

[JoshW1992]

What locomotives have been used? I.e the one which has caught fire.

-Adam

It would be a bog standard Le Shuttle loco.

 

[P156KWJ]

one of their Bo-Bo-Bo things

 

[JoshW1992]

one of their Bo-Bo-Bo things

Most powerful locos in the world apparently...

 

[bunnahabhain]

very true, and they crossover half way

Almost, there's the English crossover, and the French crossover, effectively splitting the tunnel into six parts, so you can take one out for maintenance (for example, to repair Fire Damage) and keep the other five parts open for service, so you would perhaps operate bi-directionally in the middle, with the parts either side operating uni-directionally.

 

[CraigS]

Almost, there's the English crossover, and the French crossover, effectively splitting the tunnel into six parts, so you can take one out for maintenance (for example, to repair Fire Damage) and keep the other five parts open for service, so you would perhaps operate bi-directionally in the middle, with the parts either side operating uni-directionally.

Just about what I was going to say

 

[Crompton Karl]

Been a hellish afternoon at work today because of this fire, looks like it was a truck carrying some chemicals that turned over (shifted its load) while in the tunnel and caught fire, 50+ people evacuated, no Eurostars in the tunnel, all of their services have been susspended for the day. Thats what tunnel control & Eurostar told us before i went home - I'm just watching the news now for updates like yourselves.

Karl

 

[Oracle]

What the heck are chemicals doing in the tunnel? Even LPG cars are banned. Explosives for instance are banned and have to go by sea.

There will be an inspection tonight at 22.00, and the earliest it could possibly open is tomorrow. Operation Stack is happening again on the Motorway. St Pancras International looks stuffed. Six Eurostars were stopped so that means up to 2000 passengers had to be taken off some how.

 

[Crompton Karl]

Thats what i thought, was surprised when control suggested that, maybe they were deemed non hazardous or maybe the driver just did not declare them, who knows, i'm sure a report will come out or facts will change

Karl

 

[34067James]

What locomotives have been used? I.e the one which has caught fire.

-Adam

Been a hellish afternoon at work today because of this fire, looks like it was a truck carrying some chemicals that turned over (shifted its load) while in the tunnel and caught fire.

Karl

Hi Adam/Karl

Its not a loco it a lorry that caught fire carrying chemical phenol what ever that is .

James

 

[Crompton Karl]

Yes i know that, i never said it was a loco, i know it was a truck. I got my information from my colleagues at Eurotunnel Control, looks like there was some form of axel failure on the truck and the truck was carrying some chemicals (that you have said is Phenol) too.

Seems like the fire has not been put out yet either.

All the best

Karl

 

[adc82140]

As per usual the media is full of inaccuracies- BBC News were telling us that freight services used different tunnels than those used by Eurostar and Eurotunnel Shuttle. That got an email.

And now (I know this is nitpicking, but still) Sky News have shown a computer graphic of a freight Shuttle being pulled by the front car of a Pendolino :grin:


I was caught up in the aftermath of the last emergency a couple of years ago and got stuck in Calais for the night- I have every sympathy with anyone stuck in the queues.

ADC

 

[Oracle]

IFFFF and it is a big if, the vehicle was carrying Phenol, then why was it allowed? It has a flashpoint of 79 degrees C apparently. It is officially a 'Corrosive'.

 

[paul1609]

I think the flashpoint of diesel fuel in the lorries is lower at around 62 degrees c

 

[Turbostar]

Also known as 'Carbolic Acid' hock:

1. A caustic, poisonous, white crystalline compound, C6H5OH, derived from benzene and used in resins, plastics, and pharmaceuticals and in dilute form as a disinfectant and antiseptic. Also called carbolic acid.
2. Any of a class of aromatic organic compounds having at least one hydroxyl group attached directly to the benzene ring.

hock:hock:hock:

 

[Phoenix]

It would be a bog standard Le Shuttle loco.

You dare say bog standard lol
Being Bo-Bo-Bo and one of the most powerfull electrics in the world makes them more than standard.
Just shows you the might of Brush electrical equipment.

 

[34067James]

Yes i know that, i never said it was a loco, i know it was a truck. I got my information from my colleagues at Eurotunnel Control, looks like there was some form of axel failure on the truck and the truck was carrying some chemicals (that you have said is Phenol) too.

Seems like the fire has not been put out yet either.

All the best

Karl

Hi Karl sorry about that , That was ment for adam that bit about it being a lorry not loco. What I ment for you was the info of what the chemical was.

Regards
James

 

[Oracle]

Reports do now say Phenol. I can imagine that there's a heck of a lot more of that on the truck than diesel fuel in the tanks. More to burn!

Eurostar are now saying forget Friday!

 

[glynn80]

Terrible day at work with practically no info and over 90 calls on wait at times (average is about 0 at these times and max I've ever seen is 20. All booking systems have closed for ALL trains on Friday. A queueing system is inplace for ALL pax without reservations and reports of in excess of 1000 people bedding down in terminals for the night so as not to lose their space in tommorow's queue. All ticket regardless of type are being full exchanged and refunded

 

[paul1609]

Sky news is saying the tunnel will be closed for days if not weeks.
The amount of Phenol is also quoted as 100 kgs in an adjacent lorry.