Agreement nearer on Channel Tunnel
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FROM OUR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT
THE saga of the Channel Tunnel moved a step nearer its final chapter during the visit to London of the French Premier, Monsieur Pompidou, last week.
During talks on Friday. the final day of the French visit, it was decided that the tunnel could and should be built, but the two Governments deferred a cast-iron decision pending an agreement on construction costs.
This is likely to be in the region of £200m. and as it escalates every month, speedy talks between Anglo-French Finance and Transport Ministers are expected to follow.
Once the division between French and English, and private' and State capital has been settled. the two countries will need to agree on the operating details, which on this side are expected to involve British Railways almost exclusively.
The tunnel will be used by BR vehicles, with commercial and other vehicles crossing by open wagons known as "flats".
The Minister of Transport, Mrs. Barbara Castle, seems to be very excited about the technical progress which has been made, but even if final agreement with the French is reached this year, construction work is not likely to begin until 1969, and the tunnel would not be operating until about 1974.
Given goodwill, the necessary decision between Britain and France to start the work could be taken around the end of this year. But as the tunnel seems to be an essential pawn in the Common Market game, the saga may go on for a while yet.