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Welcome to Eurotunnel

Rolling stock




The fleet
Image of fleet of trains



In 2006 Eurotunnel’s rolling stock includes:

  • 58 electric locomotives
  • 9 Passenger Shuttles for cars and coaches
  • 16 Truck Shuttles


The locomotives
Image of locomotive

All locomotives are of the Bo-Bo-Bo configuration, i.e. they are equipped with three bogies, each with two motorised axles. This provides the dual advantage of excellent adhesion between wheel and rail and improved performance.

Each Eurotunnel shuttle in commercial operation has two locomotives, one at each end of the shuttle and is about 800m long.

Out of the fleet of 58 Brush/Bombardier locomotives, 28 have a power of 7 megawatts (MW), while the other 30 have an original power of 5.6MW. A programme to increase the power of 17 locomotives from 5.6MW to 7MW, out of the 30 original locomotives, is planned between 2010 and 2013.


The passenger shuttles
Image of car being loaded on to a train

Each of the 9 Eurotunnel Passenger Shuttles consists of two separate halves, or rakes. One has a single deck for coaches, minibuses, caravans and vehicles higher than 1.85m. The other transports cars and motorcycles on a double deck.

The fleet of 9 Passenger Shuttles therefore comprises 108 single deck carriages, 108 double deck carriages, 36 double and single deck loading wagons. A complete Passenger Shuttle can carry 12 coaches and 120 cars.

The Passenger Shuttles were built in stainless steel by the Canadian group Bombardier Inc., BN (Belgium) and ANF (France). A Passenger Shuttle is made up of 24 carriages and four loading/unloading wagons in the following configuration:

Passenger Shuttles


Carriages have been insulated with materials used in the aeronautic industry, providing the best protection against high thermal variations and able to resist fire for 30 minutes. Each carriage is closed at each end with specially designed fire resistant doors, and equiped with smoke, vapour, heat and fire detectors.
 

The truck shuttles
Image of a lorry and train

Eurotunnel has a fleet of 16 Truck Shuttles, 7 Breda-Fiat Shuttles and 9 of the Arbel type, each made up of 2 locomotives, 3 loading/unloading wagons and 30 carrying wagons, and each able to accomodate a 44-tonne truck. 

For safety and security, truck drivers travel in an amenity carriage (club car).