Getlink to Enable the Doubling of Direct High Speed Rail Services From the UK Over the Next 10 Years via the Channel Tunnel.

This doubling will be achieved by reducing the "time to market" from 10 to 5 years for operators who intend to launch new services between London and Cologne, London and Frankfurt, London and Geneva, London and Zurich.

PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Regulatory News:

Getlink SE (Paris:GET):

On 6 May 2024, Eurotunnel, a wholly owned subsidiary of Getlink, will celebrate 30 years since the opening of the Channel Tunnel and the introduction of the first LeShuttle and LeShuttle Freight rail services linking Folkestone (Kent)to Coquelles (Pas-de-Calais). This year will also mark the 30th anniversary of the first direct rail links between London and Paris, and London and Brussels.

Three decades after this pioneering step forward in Europe's rail network, and in the wake of the development of the recently introduced link between London and Amsterdam, Eurotunnel is aiming to further accelerate the low-carbon mobility of people between the UK and continental Europe by doubling the number of new direct destinations from London via the Channel Tunnel over the next 10 years.

The reduction in the time needed to launch new services to just 5 years is the fruit of the work by Eurotunnel, the infrastructure manager and keystone of the cross-Channel high-speed links, in cooperation with partners from across the European ecosystem (infrastructure managers, authorities, manufacturers, regulators).

4 decisive steps have been taken towards simplification:

• market research carried out by Eurotunnel to identify destinations,
• Standardisation of Tunnel regulations with the relevant authorities,
• Integration of tunnel specific criteria with manufacturers in their standard rolling stock offering,
• Preparing cross-Channel connections with network operators and stations.

For Yann Leriche, Chief Executive of Getlink, "The Channel Tunnel is the catalyst for the acceleration of high-speed passenger traffic between London and Europe's major cities. The attractiveness of the Open Access model and the impetus driven by Eurotunnel as infrastructure manager to develop new destinations are key factors in the growth of low-carbon mobility between the UK and continental Europe."

***************************

About Getlink

Getlink SE (Euronext Paris: GET), through its subsidiary Eurotunnel, is the concession holder for the Channel Tunnel infrastructure until 2086 and operates Truck and Passenger Shuttle services (cars and coaches) between Folkestone (UK) and Calais (France). Since 31 December 2020 Eurotunnel has been developing the smart border to ensure that the Tunnel remains the fastest, most reliable, easiest and most environmentally friendly way to cross the Channel. Since it opened in 1994, almost 490 million people and 101 million vehicles have travelled through the Channel Tunnel. This unique land link, which carries 25% of trade between the Continent and the UK, has become a vital link, reinforced by the ElecLink electricity interconnector installed in the Tunnel, which helps to balance the energy needs between France and the UK. Getlink completes its sustainable mobility services with its rail freight subsidiary Europorte. Committed to "low-carbon" services that control their impact on the environment (through its activities, the Group avoids the equivalent of 1.4 million tonnes of CO₂ per year), Getlink has made the place of people, nature and territories a central concern.

https://www.getlinkgroup.com