Channel Tunnel

[AndrewE]

I have just noticed that the puff for "Channel Tunnel: Life On The Inside" tonight on Yesterday channel (Category: News/Current Affairs, Episode 2 | Season 1) says

With up to 400 trains a day on its 62 miles of track, the channel tunnel is the busiest railway system in the world -

which I find hard to believe.
Apart from the fact that the length is irrelevant to how busy it is, surely the flighting of trains running at 3 speeds (as I understand it) on 2 tracks (which is relevant) must mean that there is a railway, maybe LUL or the Elizabeth line) which can or does run more?
400 a day is 200 in each direction, 8.3 per hour or 7.2 min headways on average. Doesn't sound extreme to me...

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I've seen a recent industry (web) story that claims that the Channel Tunnel is capable of handling 1,000 trains per day, which seems to be rather impressive utilisation.

Smooth Power: GE Helps Recharge Eurotunnel So More Trains Can Travel Vital Link Between UK and the Continent | GE News

Smooth Power: GE Helps Recharge Eurotunnel So More Trains Can Travel Vital Link Between UK and the Continent

www.ge.com

Extract...

GE (Grid Systems) replaced the old power management system, called SVC, with STATCOM, a static synchronous compensator, custom-adapted to the needs of the Eurotunnel. As a result, the power system now enables 16 trains simultaneously in the tunnel, and up to 1,000 trains every 24-hour period.

 

[paul1609]

I have just noticed that the puff for "Channel Tunnel: Life On The Inside" tonight on Yesterday channel (Category: News/Current Affairs, Episode 2 | Season 1) says

which I find hard to believe.
Apart from the fact that the length is irrelevant to how busy it is, surely the flighting of trains running at 3 speeds (as I understand it) on 2 tracks (which is relevant) must mean that there is a railway, maybe LUL or the Elizabeth line) which can or does run more?
400 a day is 200 in each direction, 8.3 per hour or 7.2 min headways on average. Doesn't sound extreme to me...

I suspect it depends how you define busy. The HGV shuttles on Eurotunnel are for instance 36 vehicles plus 2 locos. The Passenger shuttle 28 vehicles plus 2 locos.