Editing Channel Tunnel (section)

=== Usage and services ===
[[File:Channel Tunnel Terminal.jpg|thumb|The British terminal at [[Cheriton, Kent|Cheriton]] in west Folkestone. The terminal services shuttle trains that carry vehicles, and is linked to the [[M20 motorway]]]]

Transport services offered by the tunnel are as follows:
* [[Eurotunnel Shuttle|Eurotunnel Le Shuttle]] roll-on roll-off shuttle service for road vehicles and their drivers and passengers,
* [[Eurostar]] passenger trains,
* through freight trains.<ref name="Chisholm">{{cite book | title = Britain on the edge of Europe | last = Chisholm | first = Michael | year = 1995 | publisher=Routledge | location = London | isbn = 0-415-11921-9 | page = 151 }}</ref>

Both the freight and passenger traffic forecasts made before the construction of the tunnel were overestimated; in particular, Eurotunnel's commissioned forecasts were over-predictions.<ref name="Flyvbjerg p. 22"/> Although the captured share of Channel crossings was forecast correctly, high competition (especially from budget airlines which expanded rapidly in the 1990s and 2000s) and reduced tariffs led to low revenue. Overall cross-Channel traffic was overestimated.<ref name="Anguera 2006"/><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.reading.ac.uk/web/FILES/geographyandenvironmentalscience/GP172.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817202010/http://www.reading.ac.uk/web/FILES/geographyandenvironmentalscience/GP172.pdf |archive-date=17 August 2016 |url-status=live |title=The Channel Tunnel and its impact on Tourism in the United Kingdom|last=Sen|first=Soutetsu |date=February 2004|series=Geographical Paper No. 172}}</ref>

With the [[European Union]]'s liberalisation of international rail services, the tunnel and [[High Speed 1]] have been open to competition since 2010. There have been a number of [[High Speed 1#Future operations|operators interested in running trains]] through the tunnel and along High Speed 1 to London. In June 2013, after several years, [[Deutsche Bahn]] obtained a license to operate Frankfurt – London trains, not expected to run before 2016 because of delivery delays of the custom-made trains.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/igc-grants-deutsche-bahn-access-to-channel-tunnel.html|title=IGC grants Deutsche Bahn access to Channel Tunnel|author=DVV Media UK|work=Railway Gazette|access-date=23 June 2013|archive-date=18 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130618092937/http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/igc-grants-deutsche-bahn-access-to-channel-tunnel.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Plans for the service to Frankfurt seem to have been shelved in 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/london-frankfurt-cologne-train-deutsche-bahn-db-eurostar-cancelled-shelved-a8394806.html|title=Plans for UK-Germany high-speed rail services shelved due to 'significantly changed economic environment'|work=The Independent|date=16 June 2018 }}</ref>

==== Passenger traffic volumes ====
Cross-tunnel passenger traffic volumes peaked at 18.4&nbsp;million in 1998, decreased to 14.9&nbsp;million in 2003, and have increased substantially since then.<ref name="ETtraffic6yr"/>

At the time of the decision about building the tunnel, 15.9&nbsp;million passengers were predicted for Eurostar trains during the first year. In 1995, the first full year, actual numbers were a little over 2.9&nbsp;million, growing to 7.1&nbsp;million in 2000, then decreasing to 6.3&nbsp;million in 2003. Eurostar was initially limited by the lack of a high-speed connection on the British side. After the completion of High Speed 1 in two stages in 2003 and 2007, traffic increased. In 2008, Eurostar carried 9,113,371 passengers, a 10% increase over the previous year, despite traffic limitations due to the [[2008 Channel Tunnel fire]].<ref name="ETreport2008">{{cite web | url = http://www.eurotunnel.com | title = Eurotunnel 2008 traffic and revenue figures | date = 15 January 2009 | publisher=[[Getlink|Eurotunnel]] | access-date =15 January 2009 }}</ref> Eurostar passenger numbers continued to increase.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"
!rowspan="3" | Year
!colspan="3" | Passengers transported
! colspan="2" |Shuttle service passenger vehicles
|-
! rowspan=2|Eurostar{{ref label|cross_chunnel|A|A}}<br />(''actual<br>ticket sales'')<br><ref name="ETtraffic5yr">{{cite web | url = http://www.eurotunnel.com/ukcP3Main/ukcCorporate/ukcTheGroup/ukcOperations/ukpTraffic | title = Traffic figures | publisher = Eurotunnel | access-date = 15 January 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110202134952/http://www.eurotunnel.com/ukcP3Main/ukcCorporate/ukcTheGroup/ukcOperations/ukpTraffic | archive-date = 2 February 2011 | url-status = dead }}</ref><ref name="ETtraffic1995–2002">{{cite web |url=http://www.southeast-ra.gov.uk/southeastplan/key/study_areas/initial_studies/east_kent_ashford_annex%202.xls |title=Study Report Annex 2 |pages=Table 11 |date=June 2004 |publisher=South East England Regional Assembly |access-date=21 January 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071108002324/http://www.southeast-ra.gov.uk/southeastplan/key/study_areas/initial_studies/east_kent_ashford_annex%202.xls |archive-date=8 November 2007 }}</ref>
! Passenger<br>Shuttles<ref name="Anguera 2006">{{cite journal | first=Ricard | last=Anguera |date=May 2006 | title = The Channel Tunnel – an ex post economic evaluation | journal=Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice | volume = 40 | issue = 4 | pages = 291–315 | doi = 10.1016/j.tra.2005.08.009 | bibcode=2006TRPA...40..291A }}</ref><ref name="ETtraffic5yr"/>
! Total
!Cars
!Coaches
|-
!colspan=2 style="text-align:center;"|(''estimated, millions'')
!(''car equivalent unit'')
!
|-
| align=left | '''1994'''
| ~100,000<ref name="Anguera 2006"/>
| 0.2
| 0.3
|
|
|-
| align=left | '''1995'''
| 2,920,309
| 4.4
| 7.3
|
|
|-
| align=left | '''1996'''
| 4,995,010
| 7.9
| 12.9
|
|
|-
| align=left | '''1997'''
| 6,004,268
| 8.6
| 14.6
|
|
|-
| align=left | '''1998'''
| 6,307,849
| 12.1
| 18.4
|
|
|-
| align=left | '''1999'''
| 6,593,247
| 11.0
| 17.6
|
|
|-
| align=left | '''2000'''
| 7,130,417
| 9.9
| 17.0
|
|
|-
| align=left | '''2001'''
| 6,947,135
| 9.4
| 16.3
|
|
|-
| align=left | '''2002'''
| 6,602,817
| 8.6
| 15.2
|
|
|-
| align=left | '''2003'''
| 6,314,795
| 8.6
| 14.9
|
|
|-
| align=left | '''2004'''
| 7,276,675
| 7.8
| 15.1
|
|
|-
| align=left | '''2005'''
| 7,454,497
| 8.2
| 15.7
|
|
|-
| align=left | '''2006'''
| 7,858,337
| 7.8
| 15.7
|
|
|-
| align=left | '''2007'''
| 8,260,980
| 7.9
| 16.2
|
|
|-
| align=left | '''2008'''
| 9,113,371
| 7.0
| 16.1
|
|
|-
| align=left | '''2009'''
| 9,220,233
| 6.9
| 16.1
|
|
|-
| align=left | '''2010'''
| 9,528,558
| 7.5
| 17.0
|
|
|-
| align=left | '''2011'''
| 9,679,764
| 9.3
| 19.0
|
|
|-
| align=left | '''2012'''
| 9,911,649
| 10.0
| 19.9
|
|
|-
| align=left | '''2013'''<ref name="ETtraffic6yr"/>
| 10,132,691
| 10.3
| 20.4
|
|
|-
| align=left | '''2014'''<ref name="ETtraffic6yr"/>
| 10,397,894
| 10.6
| 21.0
|
|
|-
| align=left | '''2015'''<ref name="ETtraffic6yr"/>
| 10,399,267
| 10.5
| 20.9
|
|
|-
| align=left | '''2016'''<ref name=lt>{{cite web|last1=Eurotunnel|access-date=4 March 2017|title=Traffic figures|url=http://www.eurotunnelgroup.com/uk/eurotunnel-group/operations/traffic-figures/|publisher=eurotunnelgroup.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150513113310/http://www.eurotunnelgroup.com/uk/eurotunnel-group/operations/traffic-figures/|archive-date=13 May 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| 10,011,337
| 10.6
| 20.6
|2,610,242
|53,623
|-
| align=left | '''2017'''<ref name=y17>{{cite web|last1=Eurotunnel|access-date=29 August 2018|title=Traffic figures|url=http://www.eurotunnelgroup.com/uk/eurotunnel-group/operations/traffic-figures/|publisher=eurotunnelgroup.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150513113310/http://www.eurotunnelgroup.com/uk/eurotunnel-group/operations/traffic-figures/|archive-date=13 May 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| 10,300,622
| 10.4
| 20.7
|2,595,247
|51,229
|-
|align=left |'''2018'''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.getlinkgroup.com/en/our-group/eurotunnel/activity-and-performance/|title=GetLinkGroup passenger data}}</ref>
|11,000,000
|
|
|2,660,414
|51,300
|-
|align=left |'''2019'''<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|url=https://www.getlinkgroup.com/content/uploads/2021/03/2020-universal-registration-document-getlink-se.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221010/https://www.getlinkgroup.com/content/uploads/2021/03/2020-universal-registration-document-getlink-se.pdf |archive-date=10 October 2022 |url-status=live|title=GetLink SE Universal Registratio Document 2020|year=2021}}</ref>
|11,046,608
|
|
|2,601,791
|50,268
|-
|align=left |'''2020'''<ref name=":1" />
|2,503,419
|
|
|1,399,051
|14,382
|-
|align=left |'''2021'''<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Getlink 2022 Universal Registration Document |url=https://www.getlinkgroup.com/content/uploads/2023/09/getlink-se-urd-2022_bm_s-uk.pdf}}</ref>
|1,637,687
|
|
|953,143
|7,062
|-
|align=left |'''2022'''<ref name=":2" />
|8,295,005
|
|
|2,109,920
|17,518
|-
|'''2023'''<ref name=":3">{{Cite book |url=https://www.getlinkgroup.com/content/uploads/2025/03/getlink-se-urd-2024_compressed.pdf |title=2024 Universal Registration Document for Getlink SE |date=2025-03-21}}</ref>
|10,716,419
|
|
|2,236,713
|18,130
|-
|'''2024'''<ref name=":3" />
|11,201,093
|
|
|2,187,146
|12,691
|-
| colspan="6" style="text-align:left;" |{{note label|cross_chunnel|A|A}}only passengers taking Eurostar to cross the Channel
|}

==== Freight traffic volumes ====
Freight volumes have been erratic, with a major decrease during 1997 due to a closure caused by a fire in a freight shuttle. Freight crossings increased over the period, indicating the substitutability of the tunnel by sea crossings. The tunnel has achieved a market share close to or above Eurotunnel's 1980s predictions but Eurotunnel's 1990 and 1994 predictions were overestimates.<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://journals.openedition.org/rhcf/2990?lang=en | doi=10.4000/rhcf.2990 | title=The Channel Tunnel Cost Benefit Analysis after 20 years of operations | year=2018 | last1=Anguera Camós | first1=Ricard | journal=Revue d'Histoire des Chemins de Fer | issue=48–49 | pages=233–281 | doi-access=free }}</ref>

For through freight trains, the first year prediction was 7.2&nbsp;million tonnes; the actual 1995 figure was 1.3 m tonnes.<ref name="Flyvbjerg p. 22">Flyvbjerg et al. p. 22</ref> Through freight volumes peaked in 1998 at 3.1 m tonnes. This fell back to 1.21 m tonnes in 2007, increasing slightly to 1.24 m tonnes in 2008.<ref name="ETreport2008"/> Together with that carried on freight shuttles, freight volumes have grown since opening, with 6.4 m tonnes carried in 1995, 18.4 m tonnes recorded in 2003<ref name="Anguera 2006"/> and 19.6 m tonnes in 2007.<ref name="ETtraffic5yr"/> Numbers fell back in the wake of the 2008 fire.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"
!rowspan="2" | Year
!colspan="3" | Freight transported (''tonnes'')
! rowspan="2" |Truck transported
! rowspan="2" |Freight trains
|-
! Through<br>freight<br>trains
! Eurotunnel<br>Truck Shuttles<br /> (''{{abbr|est.|estimated}}'')<br><ref name="Anguera 2006"/><ref name="ETtraffic6yr"/><ref name="ETtraffic5yr"/>
! Total (''est.'')
|-
| align=left | '''1994'''
| 0
| 800,000
| 800,000
|
|
|-
| align=left | '''1995'''<ref name="ETtraffic1995–2002"/>
| 1,349,802
| 5,100,000
| 6,400,000
|
|
|-
| align=left | '''1996'''<ref name="ETtraffic1995–2002"/>
| 2,783,774
| 6,700,000
| 9,500,000
|
|
|-
| align=left | '''1997'''<ref name="ETtraffic1995–2002"/>
| 2,925,171
| 3,300,000
| 6,200,000
|
|
|-
| align=left | '''1998'''<ref name="ETtraffic1995–2002"/>
| 3,141,438
| 9,200,000
| 12,300,000
|
|
|-
| align=left | '''1999'''<ref name="ETtraffic1995–2002"/>
| 2,865,251
| 10,900,000
| 13,800,000
|
|
|-
| align=left | '''2000'''<ref name="ETtraffic1995–2002"/>
| 2,947,385
| 14,700,000
| 17,600,000
|
|
|-
| align=left | '''2001'''<ref name="ETtraffic1995–2002"/>
| 2,447,432
| 15,600,000
| 18,000,000
|
|
|-
| align=left | '''2002'''<ref name="ETtraffic1995–2002"/>
| 1,463,580
| 15,600,000
| 17,100,000
|
|
|-
| align=left | '''2003'''<ref name="ETtraffic2003">{{cite web | url = http://www.eurotunnel.com/ukcP3Main/ukcCorporate/ukcMediaCentre/ukcNewsReleases/ukcNews2004/ukcJanuary2004/ukpPr0401Revenue.htm | title = Eurotunnel 2003 Revenue & Traffic | date = 20 January 2004 | publisher = [[Getlink|Eurotunnel]] | access-date = 21 January 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100113123824/http://eurotunnel.com/ukcP3Main/ukcCorporate/ukcMediaCentre/ukcNewsReleases/ukcNews2004/ukcJanuary2004/ukpPr0401Revenue.htm | archive-date = 13 January 2010 | url-status = dead }}</ref>
| 1,743,686
| 16,700,000
| 18,400,000
|
|
|-
| align=left | '''2004'''<ref name="ETtraffic2005"/>
| 1,889,175
| 16,600,000
| 18,500,000
|
|
|-
| align=left | '''2005'''<ref name="ETtraffic2005">{{cite web | url = http://www.eurotunnel.com/ukcP3Main/ukcCorporate/ukcMediaCentre/ukcNewsReleases/ukcNews2006/ukcJanuary2006/ukpPr06012005TrafficAndRevenue.htm | title = Eurotunnel: 2005 Traffic and revenue figures. | date = 16 January 2006 | publisher = [[Getlink|Eurotunnel]] | access-date = 21 January 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100113125724/http://eurotunnel.com/ukcP3Main/ukcCorporate/ukcMediaCentre/ukcNewsReleases/ukcNews2006/ukcJanuary2006/ukpPr06012005TrafficAndRevenue.htm | archive-date = 13 January 2010 | url-status = dead }}</ref>
| 1,587,790
| 17,000,000
| 18,600,000
|
|
|-
| align=left | '''2006'''<ref name="ETtraffic2007"/>
| 1,569,429
| 16,900,000
| 18,500,000
|
|
|-
| align=left | '''2007'''<ref name="ETtraffic2007">{{cite web | url = http://www.eurotunnel.com/ukcP3Main/ukcCorporate/ukcMediaCentre/ukcNewsReleases/ukcNews2008/ukcJanuary2008/ukpPr0801TrafficAndRevenue2007.htm | title = Eurotunnel 2007 Traffic and Revenue figures: a remarkable year | date = 15 January 2008 | publisher = Eurotunnel | access-date = 21 January 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100113141044/http://eurotunnel.com/ukcP3Main/ukcCorporate/ukcMediaCentre/ukcNewsReleases/ukcNews2008/ukcJanuary2008/ukpPr0801TrafficAndRevenue2007.htm | archive-date = 13 January 2010 | url-status = dead }}</ref>
| 1,213,647
| 18,400,000
| 19,600,000
|
|
|-
| align=left | '''2008'''<ref name="ETtraffic2009"/>
| 1,239,445
| 14,200,000
| 15,400,000
|
|
|-
| align=left | '''2009'''<ref name="ETtraffic2009">{{cite web |url=http://www.eurotunnelgroup.com/assets-uk/media/press-releases/2010-press-releases/100120TrafficRevenueFiguresyear2009/ |title=Eurotunnel 2009 traffic and revenue figures |date=10 January 2010 |publisher=Eurotunnel |access-date=6 February 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807191905/http://www.eurotunnelgroup.com/assets-uk/media/press-releases/2010-press-releases/100120TrafficRevenueFiguresyear2009/ |archive-date=7 August 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| 1,181,089
| 10,000,000
| 11,200,000
|
|
|-
| align=left | '''2010'''<ref name="ETtraffic6yr">{{cite web |url=http://www.eurotunnelgroup.com/uk/eurotunnel-group/operations/traffic-figures/ |title=Traffic figures |publisher=Eurotunnel |access-date=6 February 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150513113310/http://www.eurotunnelgroup.com/uk/eurotunnel-group/operations/traffic-figures/ |archive-date=13 May 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="ETtraffic2010">{{cite web|url=http://www.eurotunnelgroup.com/uploadedFiles/assets-uk/Media/Press-Releases/2011-Press-Releases/110118Eurotunnel-traffic-and-revenue.pdf|title=Eurotunnel 2010 traffic and revenue figures|date=18 January 2011|publisher=Eurotunnel|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110710205037/http://www.eurotunnelgroup.com/uploadedFiles/assets-uk/Media/Press-Releases/2011-Press-Releases/110118Eurotunnel-traffic-and-revenue.pdf|archive-date=10 July 2011|access-date=6 February 2011}}</ref>
| 1,128,079
| 14,200,000
| 15,300,000
|
|
|-
| align=left | '''2011'''<ref name="ETtraffic2011">{{cite web |url=http://www.eurotunnelgroup.com/uploadedFiles/assets-uk/Media/Press-Releases/2012-Press-Releases/120130Traffic-and-Revenue-2011.pdf |title=Traffic and Revenue 2011 |publisher=Eurotunnel |access-date=21 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140807082934/http://www.eurotunnelgroup.com/uploadedFiles/assets-uk/Media/Press-Releases/2012-Press-Releases/120130Traffic-and-Revenue-2011.pdf |archive-date=7 August 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| 1,324,673
| 16,400,000
| 17,700,000
|
|
|-
| align=left | '''2012'''<ref name="ETtraffic2012">{{cite web |url=http://www.eurotunnelgroup.com/uploadedFiles/assets-uk/Media/Press-Releases/2013-Press-Releases/130123Eurotunnel-Group-2012-traffic-revenue.pdf |title=2012 revenue and traffic figures for the Eurotunnel Group |publisher=Eurotunnel |access-date=23 January 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150610002858/http://www.eurotunnelgroup.com/uploadedFiles/assets-uk/Media/Press-Releases/2013-Press-Releases/130123Eurotunnel-Group-2012-traffic-revenue.pdf |archive-date=10 June 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| 1,227,139
| 19,000,000
| 20,200,000
|
|
|-
| align=left | '''2013'''<ref name="ETtraffic2013">{{cite press release |url= http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20140121006898/en/Groupe-Eurotunnel-SA-UK-Regulatory-Announcement-Groupe |title=Groupe Eurotunnel SA: traffic and revenue for 2013|date=22 January 2014|access-date=2 February 2014}}</ref>
| 1,363,834
| 17,700,000
| 19,100,000
|
|
|-
| align=left | '''2014'''<ref name="ETtraffic2014">{{cite press release |url= http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150121006624/en/Groupe-Eurotunnel-SA-UK-Regulatory-Announcement-Eurotunnel |title=Eurotunnel Group 2014 Traffic and Revenue|date=22 January 2015|access-date=27 January 2015}}</ref>
| 1,648,047
| 18,700,000
| 20,350,000
|
|
|-
| align=left | '''2015'''<ref name="ETtraffic6yr"/>
| 1,420,000
| 19,300,000
| 20,720,000
|
|
|-
| align=left | '''2016'''<ref name=lt/>
| 1,040,000
| 21,300,000
| 22,340,000
|1,641,638
|1,797
|-
| align=left | '''2017'''<ref name=y17/>
| 1,220,000
| 21,300,000
| 22,550,000
|1,637,280
|2,012
|-
| align=left | '''2018'''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.santandercb.co.uk/factsheet/fta-logistics-report-2019.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221010/https://www.santandercb.co.uk/factsheet/fta-logistics-report-2019.pdf |archive-date=10 October 2022 |url-status=live|title=freight tonnes}}</ref>
|1,301,460
|
|
|1,693,462
|2,077
|-
| align=left | '''2019'''<ref name=":1" />
|1,390,303
|
|
|1,595,241
|2,144
|-
| align=left | '''2020'''<ref name=":1" />
|1,138,213
|
|
|1,451,556
|1,736
|-
| align=left | '''2021'''<ref name=":2" />
|1,041,140
|
|
|1,361,529
|1,654
|-
| align=left | '''2022'''<ref name=":2" />
|864,058
|
|
|1,446,765
|1,488
|-
|'''2023'''<ref name=":3" />
|
|
|
|1,206,754
|1,417
|-
|'''2024<ref name=":3" />'''
|
|
|
|1,198,052
|1,233
|}

Eurotunnel's freight subsidiary is [[Europorte 2]].<ref name="AFX Europorte">{{cite news | title = Eurotunnel gets backing for freight service |work=AFX | agency=Agence France-Presse | date = 28 October 2004 }}</ref> In September 2006 EWS, the UK's largest rail freight operator, announced that owing to the cessation of UK-French government subsidies of £52&nbsp;million per annum to cover the tunnel "Minimum User Charge" (a subsidy of around £13,000 per train, at a traffic level of 4,000&nbsp;trains per annum), freight trains would stop running after 30 November.<ref name="Times cash row">{{cite news |url = http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/transport/article626416.ece |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110817223821/http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/transport/article626416.ece |url-status = dead |archive-date = 17 August 2011 | title = Chunnel cash row threatens freight trains | first=Dominic | last=O'Connell |work=The Times |location=UK | date = 3 September 2006 | access-date =3 September 2006 }}</ref>

==== Economic performance ====
{{needs update|date=September 2024}}
Shares in Eurotunnel were issued at £3.50 per share on 9 December 1987. By mid-1989 their price had risen to £11.00. Delays and cost overruns resulted in the price falling; during demonstration runs in October 1994, it reached an all-time low. Eurotunnel suspended payment on its debt in September 1995 to avoid bankruptcy.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.josephcoates.com/pdf_files/268_Megaprojects_and_Risk.pdf | title = Megaprojects and Risk: An Anatomy of Ambition | publisher=josephcoates.com | access-date =19 July 2009 }}</ref> In December 1997 the British and French governments extended Eurotunnel's operating concession by 34&nbsp;years, to 2086. There was a financial restructuring of Eurotunnel in mid-1998, reducing debt and financial charges. Despite this, ''[[The Economist]]'' reported in 1998 that to break even Eurotunnel would have to increase fares, traffic and market share for sustainability.<ref name="Flyvbjerg p. 32–34">Flyvbjerg et al. pp. 32–34</ref> A cost-benefit analysis of the tunnel indicated that there were few effects on the wider economy and few developments associated with the project and that the British economy would have been better off if it had not been constructed.<ref name="Anguera 2006"/><ref name="Flyvbjerg">{{cite book |author1=Flyvbjerg, B. Buzelius |author2=N. Rothengatter, W | year = 2003 | title = Megaprojects and Risk | location = Cambridge | publisher=Cambridge University Press | pages = 68–69 | isbn = 0-521-00946-4 }}</ref>

Under the terms of the Concession, Eurotunnel was obliged to investigate a cross-Channel road tunnel. In December 1999 road and rail tunnel proposals were presented to the British and French governments, but it was stressed that there was not enough demand for a second tunnel.<ref name="Second Link Birm">{{cite news | title = Eurotunnel unveils plans for second link | work=[[Birmingham Post]] | date = 6 January 2000 }}</ref> A three-way treaty between the United Kingdom, France and Belgium governs border controls, with the establishment of ''control zones'' within which the officers of the other nation may exercise limited customs and law enforcement powers. For most purposes, these are at either end of the tunnel, with the French border controls on the UK side of the tunnel and vice versa. For some city-to-city trains, the train is a control zone.<ref name="CPS zones">{{cite web|url=http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/section2/chapter_f.html#_Toc44570638 |title=The CPS: Channel Tunnel |access-date=11 March 2008 |work=Crown Prosecution Service |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080220234954/http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/section2/chapter_f.html |archive-date=20 February 2008 }}</ref> A binational emergency plan coordinates UK and French emergency activities.<ref name="Kirkland pp.311">Kirkland p. 331</ref>

In 1999 Eurostar posted its first net profit, having made a loss of £925m in 1995.<ref name="BBConthisday"/> In 2005 Eurotunnel was described as being in a serious situation.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.adacte.com/economiepolitique/hollandais17062005.doc | title = Facts and figures Eurotunnel 2000-2004/Forecast 2005: Commentry and a suggestion | publisher = Adacte.com | date = June 2005 | access-date = 21 July 2009 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090731114603/http://www.adacte.com/economiepolitique/hollandais17062005.doc | archive-date = 31 July 2009 }}</ref> In 2013, operating profits rose 4{{nbsp}}percent from 2012, to £54{{nbsp}}million.<ref>{{cite web|title = Eurostar hails 'record-breaking' year as profits jump|url = https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/eurostar-hails-recordbreaking-year-as-profits-jump-9170760.html|access-date = 25 August 2015|newspaper = The Independent|date = 5 March 2014}}</ref>

==== Security ====
There is a need for full [[passport]] controls, as the tunnel acts as a border between the [[Schengen Area]] and the [[Common Travel Area]]. There are [[juxtaposed controls]], meaning that passports are checked before boarding by officials of the departing country and by officials of the destination country. These control points are only at the main Eurostar stations: French officials operate at [[St Pancras railway station|London St Pancras]], while British officials operate at [[Lille-Europe station|Lille-Europe]], [[Brussels-South railway station|Brussels-South]], [[Gare du Nord|Paris-Gare du Nord]], [[Rotterdam Centraal station|Rotterdam CS]], and [[Amsterdam Centraal station|Amsterdam CS]]. During the winter ski season, they also operate at [[Gare de Bourg-Saint-Maurice]] and [[Moûtiers-Salins-Brides-les-Bains station]]. Eurostar passengers pass through airport-style security screening. For the shuttle road-vehicle trains, there are juxtaposed passport controls before boarding the trains.

When Eurostar trains ran south of Paris such as from Marseille, there were no passport and security checks before departure, and those trains had to stop in Lille at least 30 minutes to allow all passengers to be checked. No checks are performed on board. There have been plans for services from [[Amsterdam]], [[Frankfurt]] and [[Cologne]] to London, but a major reason to cancel them was the need for a stop in Lille. Direct service from London to Amsterdam started on 4 April 2018; following the building of check-in terminals at Amsterdam and Rotterdam and the intergovernmental agreement, a direct service from the two Dutch cities to London started on 30 April 2020.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Eurostar finally launches direct service from Amsterdam to London|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/news/eurostar-direct-amsterdam-london-on-board-review/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/news/eurostar-direct-amsterdam-london-on-board-review/ |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|last=Greg Dickinson|first=Digital Content Producer|website=The Telegraph|date=4 February 2020|access-date=14 May 2020}}{{cbignore}}</ref>