Posted 1st October 2008 | 3 Comments
Open-sided shuttles ‘too big a risk’ in Chunnel
September’s lorry shuttle blaze was the third since the tunnel opened in 1994.
THE Rail Freight Group has called for a thorough investigation of Channel Tunnel lorry safety, which it believes could lead to trucks being banned from open-sided rail wagons.
September’s lorry shuttle blaze was the third since the tunnel opened in 1994. It caused major disruption to Eurostar and Eurotunnel shuttle services between England and France less than a year after St Pancras International and High Speed 1 opened.
Questions are now being asked about whether trucks are compatible with the tunnel, where relatively high speeds in confined space create a rush of wind past the lorries.
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch and its French counterpart have launched an investigation into the fire, which led to a total stoppage of Eurostar and shuttle trains while firefighters fought the blaze.
Fourteen people were injured and firefighters had to extinguish an underground blaze that reached 1,800F.
The RFG, representing companies that use and supply freight trains, believes risks to safety in the tunnel may be too high to justify continuing open-sided lorry shuttles.
Tony Berkeley, who chairs the RFG, said: “There’s a very strong argument for looking at the carriage of lorries through the Channel Tunnel in detail.
“There must be questions about whether any lorry is safe in an open shuttle with the wind rushing by in the way that it does. They may lead to a conclusion that lorries should not be allowed in the tunnel in these types of wagons.”
However, Eurotunnel has previously had concerns about transporting lorries in fully enclosed wagons, and says successive safety reviews have favoured open-sided vehicles.
Eurotunnel spokesman John Keefe said legislation in Britain and France would have to be amended if Eurotunnel were to stop carrying lorries.
Freight Transport Association spokesman Geoff Dossetter dismissed the idea of a lorry ban as “nonsense”.
Reader Comments:
Views expressed in submitted comments are that of the author, and not necessarily shared by Railnews.
Mike Ponsonby, Bromsgrove, Worcs., UK
It strikes me that the Chief Fire of Kent was Prescient in his view, which should have been the very last word on this matter of Fire Safety. For what is the point of having Fire Officers, if the relevant authorities then ignore their advice to the detriment of the travelling public ?
Anthony J Hemm, Ruddington Nottingham NG11 6LG, England
It is possible that the start of a fire can be caused by a cab heater being left on . A train wheel bearing is also a possible cause.
A fire maybe made worse by the bunsen burner effect caused by rushing air in the tunnel
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The most important factor to be brought in is , intermodal way is the finest and safest way including fastest way of movement of transport through the tunnel and must be brought in with haste'. Leave the piggy back trucking to the expensive boats .
Mr. M. J. Gosney, Bristol, United Kingdom
I can remember that before the Channel Tunnel opened the Chief Fire Officer for Kent was interviewed on the BBC Radio 4 program 'TODAY' and he expressed his concerns about the use of the lattice type open wagons that were to be used on the lorry shuttles and remarked that in the event of a fire the wagons lattice work would act like a blowtorch. He was minded to reject a safety certificate application for these wagons. He stated that the lorry shuttles should be enclosed just like the car / coach shuttles with closing doors at each end of each wagon. In the event of a fire on a lorry with appropriate fire detection apparatus it would activate a fire supressent and hopefully confine the fire to a single wagon. I believe the said fire officer was over-ruled by a higher authority but in the light of the latest incident and the other two fires, it has proved that mans foresight and as a matter of urgency the open latticework lorry shuttles should be replaced with closed wagons fitted with appropriate fire extinguising equipment.