In brief
A minibus carrying lorry drivers struck a stationary freight train on the loading platform of the Channel Tunnel’s French side in Coquelles, near Calais, on Thursday evening, leaving 19 people injured. The bus’s driver and one passenger sustained severe wounds and were air‑lifted for treatment, while all other injuries were non‑life‑threatening. Local authorities confirmed that freight and Eurostar operations continued with only a brief pause for evacuation, and an investigation has been launched to determine how the collision occurred. The incident marked the first time a vehicle has collided with a train on the Eurotunnel loading platform in its history.
A minibus carrying lorry drivers collided with a stationary freight train at the Channel Tunnel’s French entrance in Coquelles, near Calais, on Thursday night, injuring 19 people.
The 18‑passenger bus struck the train at 19:27 local time (18:27 BST) on the loading platform, where a freight train had been prepared for a cross‑channel journey and another had already departed. The driver and one passenger suffered severe injuries and were transferred by helicopter to a nearby hospital; no life‑threatening wounds were reported.
Sub‑prefect Agathe Cury confirmed that freight and Eurostar traffic were only briefly halted while emergency crews evacuated the injured. All trains resumed their courses after the stoppage. An investigation into the circumstances of the collision has begun.
Cury explained that the bus did not overturn – it remained upright – but the impact produced a shock that caused injuries. The vehicle was transporting male workers of various nationalities who were headed to board the Le Shuttle rail service.
Eurostar issued a statement clarifying that the incident did not involve its passenger trains and that all Eurostar services would proceed as scheduled. Meanwhile, local media reported the scene with emergency vehicles clustered around the damaged bus and the freight train.
The Channel Tunnel, also known as the Chunnel, connects Folkestone in Kent, England with Coquelles on the French side and supports Eurostar passenger services, freight traffic, and the Le Shuttle vehicle shuttle.
