The Channel Tunnel
UK and France
Client: Eurotunnel
The Channel Tunnel project was a major transportation
system linking the UK with Europe under the English
Channel. Twin rail tunnels and a service tunnel, each
50km long, represented about half the total capital cost.
Surface works including all the necessary terminal
works, buildings and equipment, together with the links
into the existing transport networks at each end of the
tunnel and the shuttle trains accounted for the
remainder. The UK terminal occupies a site of about
150 hectares, while the French terminal is 400 hectares.
Two types of traffic are catered for in the scheme; road
vehicles with their passengers carried via roll-on, roll-off
shuttle trains, and through passenger and freight trains
linking the UK and Europe.
The project was financed entirely from private sources,
with no government guarantees and is one of the
largest private sector civil engineering projects to be
completed in Europe.
For further information please contact: rail@atkinsglobal.com
Eurotunnel, the owner/operator, had a concession from
the British and French governments to build and
operate the system for a fixed term. To build the
project, Eurotunnel entered into a design and construct
contract with Trans Manche Link, which was a joint
venture comprising five UK and five French
construction companies.
The governments are represented by two bodies; the
Intergovernmental Commission (IGC) which represents
the interests of the two governments with links to the
various Ministries involved, and the Safety Authority
which was charged to advise the IGC on aspects of
safety, environment and security.
The concessionaire, Eurotunnel, was required to submit
the conceptual design of the project to the IGC for
approval and to obtain the Operating Certificate from
them at the end of the commissioning period. Under
the concession agreement, an independent technical
group was required to report to the IGC on the project
design, construction, manufacture and installation of the
fixed equipment and transportation system, and
commissioning. In addition, the agent banks
recognised the need for an independent reporting group.
This group is called the Maitre D’Oeuvre (MdO), and we
undertake this key role in joint venture with the French
consultancy SETEC.
The MdO provided an independent overview of the
entire project, identifying potential problem areas and
advising on remedial measures necessary in the
interests of the project. The MdO prepared a quarterly
progress report for the banks which is also sent to the
IGC. The report was an extensive analysis of the
status of the project covering cost management,
programme design, fixed equipment and transportation
system installation, and construction issues.
In addition the MdO was also required to produce other
periodic reports on programmes and costs, and to
respond to bank requests for independent assessments
of project matters. The MdO was charged with the duty
of preparing independent reviews on all engineering
submissions to the IGC to ensure, amongst other things,
that they are in accordance with the terms of the
concession, and that the work executed conforms to
those submissions. In addition, there is a quality
assurance role which included carrying out internal and
external audits covering all aspects of the project.
These duties continued through the detailed
certification and commissioning procedures leading up
to the issue of the final operating certificate.
There was a further responsibility vis-à-vis the IGC,
which covers monitoring the operational safety of the
transportation system. This culminated in the
submission for approval by the IGC of safety
arrangements including operating rules and emergency
procedures, prior to the issue of the operating certificate.
In order to carry out these wide ranging responsibilities
we deployed an experienced team covering the
disciplines of project management, cost control,
planning, environmental studies, safety, railway
engineering, signalling and control systems, mechanical
and electrical engineering, civil and structural
engineering, architecture and town planning, and
construction management.
For further information please contact: rail@atkinsglobal.com
In addition to its duties with the MdO, we had a service
agreement with Eurotunnel to provide experienced
professionals to work within their project
implementation team in a direct project management
role. Within this agreement we provided Eurotunnel’s
construction director UK, their head of project control
and their head of contracts. In support of these senior
staff, teams of planning and cost control personnel,
contract administrators, construction supervisors and
quality control staff work within the owner’s project
management team. These resources were
supplemented as required from time to time to meet the
needs of the project.

Although considerable attention is focused on the

implementation of the Channel Tunnel Project. We also
worked in association with SETEC, and with Eurotunnel
executives to plan and develop the future transportation
company. We worked with the operations director in
defining the organisation structure and assisted with the
planning of all the activities to be undertaken by the
operations division up to the opening of the system.

We also carried out a similar exercise for the whole of

the new transportation company, assisting in the
planning of the start-up activities. Our services covered
inter alia human resources planning, finance,
commercial and marketing aspects, information
technology and setting up a new works department.
These plans are being monitored on a regular basis as
the organisation growes.

For further information please contact: rail@atkinsglobal.com