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Original poster

Channel tunnel safety

20 replies

RoadRunner123 · 18/03/2015 19:17

I know I am going to come across as a bit of a loon here....I am a born worrier.

I'm not keen at all on flying (I take diazepam to fly and have been on then flying without fear course). Partly because of hating flying and partly because we love France, we've been going to France on our holidays for the last few years.

We do the Dover-Calais crossing because it's quick and cheap. Last year though, we were due to travel on one of the hurricane days and we re-booked onto the tunnel. I've never really fancied the tunnel because of fears of it collapsing, terrorism, claustrophobic etc!! But the weather forced the issue and we did it and it was so quick and easy it has made us very tempted to do that from now on.

But I can't quite bring myself to book it. The safety measures in terms of terrorism seem to be non existent! Can anyone please patronise me and tell me it is perfectly safe and I need to pull myself together!!

OP posts:

Fleecyleesy · 18/03/2015 19:20

There comes a point where you just have to think fuck it. If you analyse everything you end up doing nothing. Book it. You will feel free.

I know because I also worry like this.

Fugacity · 18/03/2015 19:23

Get your DH to book it.

Original poster

RoadRunner123 · 18/03/2015 19:27

We could go on the ferry though....which would be very pleasant in the sun!

If DH booked it, we'd be going at 4am because it's cheaper then

OP posts:

BertieBotts · 18/03/2015 19:29

Ah well there you go. No terrorist would strike at 4am, not nearly enough people around to live tweet abd panic.

Original poster

RoadRunner123 · 18/03/2015 19:32

Hmmm, now that's a thought.....

But then...if there was a fire, they'd be on minimal staff...maybe note nought to deal with it?

OP posts:

mrsnoon · 18/03/2015 19:32

Not wanting to sound insensitive but I suspect the 52 people who boarded tube trains and a bus on 7/7 didn't wonder about how their fellow passengers were screened for terrorism. It happens, it's very very rare and to be honest if you let the fear of terrorism get under your skin you'd never leave your house. Statistically it isn't going to happen so just book it and get on with looking forward to your holiday.

Original poster

RoadRunner123 · 18/03/2015 19:33

Not enough that was supposed to say.

OP posts:

specialsubject · 18/03/2015 20:00

no, it isn't perfectly safe because nothing is. Your drive to work/school/whatever is much more dangerous.

I didn't think I had claustrophobia until I used the car shuttle in the tunnel - never again! Although a lot of that is because it is so unpleasant, stinky and you don't get even a glimpse of the sea. Ferry or plane next time; I love a ferry trip.

but from a danger point of view, if you are happy to drive then you have no justification for worrying about the tunnel.

BertieBotts · 18/03/2015 21:56

I'm pretty sure they have systems for evacuating in case of fire. It's not like they open a hatch into the sea and you have to swim :) (Though that would be quite good, they could put the fire out)

BertieBotts · 18/03/2015 22:03

I've just looked it up and there have been five fires since the tunnel opened but nobody has ever died, the evacuation procedures are sound. There are two parallel train tunnels with a service tunnel in the middle and they are all protected from each other so fire can't spread between them.

BertieBotts · 18/03/2015 22:09

Terrorism - I don't think it would make a big enough impact TBH for terrorists to be interested. Remember it's underground, so any explosion wouldn't go far - there will be miles of rock above it before meeting sea. Because of the tunnels being insulated it would be hard to blow the whole thing up at once, and I don't think they can even fit that many people on a train at once. It would be a lot of effort for very little (comparatively) carnage and wouldn't be as interesting, shocking or horrifying as going for a landmark or busy city where they could have far more impact.

Even in 7/7 the tunnels did not collapse, despite being built much longer ago and probably being less structurally sound than an under sea tunnel, and people who were not killed in the actual blast were able to be evacuated safely.

iwantgin · 18/03/2015 22:10

I would imagine it is safer than the ferry.

Have done both - and the tunnel wins for me as it is so much faster. By the time you have lined up to board, had a sandwich out of the coolboxes in the boot you have arrived.

So any possibilities of any incident have to be crammed into that 30 minutes. Unlikely.

magimedi · 18/03/2015 22:53

I go back & forwards to France often as (adult) DS lives there.

Tunnel every time for me - as someone once remarked no terrorist is going to blow up the easiest exit from UK!

Honestly, you can rock up to the tunnel terminal, pay cash & get to Europe & be in France with in less than an hour after paying on Uk side.

Butterflywings168 · 18/03/2015 23:28

Agree with Bertie
Seriously, why not go with the ferry if time isn't an issue. Slow travel can be great.
Or yeah, if you go with the tunnel, diazepam is awesome too

ToffeeLatteplease · 19/03/2015 09:19

More lives have been lost at sea than have ever been on a train, especially the channel tunnel.

But I suspect that may be a spectacularly unhelpful way of looking at things

Original poster

RoadRunner123 · 19/03/2015 14:36

Thank you for all these comments, I'm quite liking some of the assurances here.

It would be easier to book the ferry, but the thought of bad weather puts me off that too. I've not been this bad before. Everything else is booked so I'm going to have to book one of them....or swim...but I suspect that might hold its own dangers.

OP posts:

Branleuse · 19/03/2015 14:39

I think the eurotunnel is very unlikely to be targetted by suicide bombers tbh

Original poster

RoadRunner123 · 19/03/2015 14:55

Why?

Don't they want to disrupt our lives and make people scared to go anywhere....(so everyone turns into me!)

OP posts:

magimedi · 19/03/2015 17:10

Having re read your original post, you are wrong to think the safety measures to counter terrorism are non existent.

At least 40+ cars on each crossing get taken aside & the steering wheel & all doors are swiped with some sort of cotton on a stick & that is checked for explosive traces.

On entering the terminals there are loads of X Ray ( or some sort of ray) type scanners that you have to go through.

You drive over at least one video camera that scans the bottom of your car to check it for any thing being on the undercarriage.

They are all quite subtle (apart from the first check) & you wouldn't necessarily notice them the first time you use the tunnel. But they are there & probably more I've never even noticed.

Personally I only have to remember the Zeebrugge ferry tragedy to be so pleased I am on the tunnel.

homebythesea · 23/03/2015 12:36

Do you go to large shopping centres on a Saturday? That is where the biggest terrorist threat is. It's very easy for someone to enter a crowded place with any number of kinds of deadly weapon from backpack bomb to sharp kitchen knife and cause havoc and death for a large number of people. I'm constantly amazed it hasnt happened yet.

A short journey in the tunnel allows less worry time than on the ferry plus no chance of seasickness. It's a no brainer

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