Eurotunnel: no more roofless freight shuttles EUROTUNNEL HAS ruled out
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the use of roofless freight shuttles, after a trial caused delays when debris came off trucks and interfered with running equipment, CM can reveal.
The trial, which began last year, saw the Channel Tunnel shuttle operator introduce flatbed wagons to transport LGVs in a bid to lighten carriages and improve aerodynamics. CM spoke with Eurotunnel after hearing reports of delays from hauliers using the service, and a spokesman confirmed that delays had occurred due to incidents where tarpaulin had come loose from vehicles travelling on the roofless shuttles. The debris interfered with equipment, leading to disruption.
Eurotunnel has now reverted to the former configuration, which sees the freight shuttle equipped with portions of roofing on some of its wagons. The spokesman said this protects vehicles travelling on the train, while improving aerodynamics compared with a fully covered shuttle. He added: "We've invested into the freight crossing system to make it quicker to load and unload. We have been testing the shape of the new generation of truck shuttles, but we have gone back to the old prototype."