Bus Collision at Channel Tunnel Freight Terminal Leaves 19 People Injured
Constantvpn.com – Nineteen people were hurt after a bus struck a stationary freight train at the French side of the Channel Tunnel, close to Calais. The collision happened at the loading area in Coquelles, where lorry drivers were being transported to a shuttle rail service.
The bus driver and 18 passengers were injured in the incident, which occurred at 19:27 local time, or 17:27 GMT. Everyone involved was male and came from a range of nationalities, local officials said.
Two of those injured were taken away by helicopter after suffering serious injuries. However, local sub-prefect Agathe Cury said there was no immediate indication that either person’s life was at risk.
Emergency crews deployed to terminal
Emergency responders gathered at the site near the French entrance to the tunnel following the crash. Images from the scene showed a small bus with visible damage to its front and side, positioned beside a train as rescue personnel worked nearby.
The train had been stopped when the vehicle collided with it on the platform. The precise circumstances leading up to the impact were not detailed in the initial information released by authorities.
Coquelles is a major transport point for freight vehicles using the Channel Tunnel link between France and the United Kingdom. Lorry drivers are carried through the tunnel on shuttle trains while their vehicles are transported on the same service, making the terminal an important part of cross-Channel freight movement.
Rail services continue after brief pause
Despite the scale of the emergency response, rail operations through the tunnel were largely maintained. Freight movements and Eurostar passenger services were not disrupted beyond a short interruption while casualties were evacuated from the scene.
That limited impact was significant because the tunnel is one of the busiest fixed transport connections between Britain and continental Europe. It handles both passenger rail journeys and freight traffic, with separate services operating through the same cross-Channel route.
Eurostar said its trains travelling to and from London were unaffected by the incident.
An incident occurred several kilometers away from the Channel Tunnel.
This incident does not involved or impact Eurostar trains running from and to London. All of Eurostar trains will run as expected.
The statement stressed that the crash did not involve an Eurostar train and that scheduled passenger services would continue. Travellers using the London routes therefore faced no announced change to their expected rail journeys.
Freight terminal safety under focus
The incident highlights the complex environment at the tunnel’s freight terminals, where buses, lorries, trains and operational staff move through controlled loading areas. Such sites depend on close coordination because vehicles transporting drivers can operate alongside trains carrying freight vehicles.
While the collision did not halt the wider rail network, the injuries required a substantial emergency operation. Helicopter evacuation is typically used when rapid transfer to specialist medical care is needed, and the brief stoppage allowed responders to carry out that work safely.
Officials have not indicated that the train itself was moving at the time of the crash. Its stationary position at the loading platform means the focus will likely remain on how the bus came into contact with it within the terminal area.
For freight operators and drivers, the continuation of services meant the immediate disruption to cross-Channel transport was limited. The event nevertheless caused a serious incident at a key gateway between France and the UK, with 19 people needing medical attention.
Authorities have not released further details about the condition of those injured or any wider operational consequences. The two helicopter evacuations remained the most serious aspect of the collision, although officials said there was no apparent threat to life.
The crash occurred near Calais rather than inside the undersea section of the Channel Tunnel. This distinction was reflected in the continued operation of passenger and freight rail services after the injured people had been removed from the loading terminal.
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