The Channel Tunnel: 25 Years
The Channel Tunnel stands as an engineering triumph and a testament to what can be achieved when two nations, Britain and France put aside their historic differences and work together. On the 25th anniversary of its opening, we reflect on what it took to build the longest undersea tunnel ever constructed.
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Over a thousand British tunnellers operated eleven massive tunnel boring machines, digging not one tunnel but three: two rail tunnels and a service tunnel. Workers smuggled in alcohol and cigarettes to supplement their substantial wages. In this difficult and dangerous environment, no female toilets could be provided to women workers.
On 1 December 1990, 40 meters under the seabed, British and French tunnellers broke through the final section. Eleven tunnellers had perished over the course of construction. Over the years, tunnel use increased and freight costs declined - a huge success for both nations' economies.
