THE CHANNEL TUNNEL BETWEEN ENGLAND AND FRANCE.

Recently I was offered the chance to travel by train through the channel between England and France. I went on the shuttle that carries cars. The site is not beautiful. There is a huge railway complex with tracks disappearing into a large hole, and a brand – new exhibition center.

The location of trains is indicated by signs saying “France”. Cars must stop at the toll booths and French immigration points, where passports are shown. (Dealing with formalities here means you can drive straight off the train at the other end.)

The double-decker carriages are brightly lit, air-conditioned and very hi-tech. Loudspeaker announcements from the “chef de train”, an Englishmen speaking very slow French, welcomed us aboard. A crew member with a walkie-talkie said the crossing would take about 35 minutes and passengers were expected to stay in or by their cars. He told me the shuttle employed several female drivers. “The most important requirement for the job is that they know about computers and learn French, especially the numbers. They practice by playing bingo”.

Then we started. We slid into the tunnel and hit our travelling speed of 80 mph. The ride was so smooth one was barely aware of any movement. It was, predictably, about as interesting as a ride round London underground. Somewhere to sit and have a coffee would have been welcome, but a crew member said: “With the numbers we expect to carry, it just wouldn’t be practical”.

After half an hour we shot back into the French daylight, had lunch, then came back. The return trip, however, did not go so smoothly. Halfway across, a fire alarm went off. We were all moved to a neighboring carriage. Moments later, a young man appeared and said calmly: “Just practicing. You can go back!”

Then without warning, the train stopped. We found out that a lorry had falling over during boarding. After an hour we were still waiting. People were becoming mildly irritated, and the only person still smiling worked for a cross-channel ferry company.

Then all at once, we moved off. Disembarking was swift and easy and, within minutes, we were driving on the left again through a wet English night. It had been an interesting day. I had enjoyed the experience of what will undoubtedly become routine in the 21^st century; but for me, the attractions of the sea and the cry of gulls will always win in the end.

Date: 2015-01-12; view: 1705