In brief
At 19:27 GMT on Thursday, a minibus transporting lorry drivers struck a freight train at the loading platform in Coquelles, near Calais. The collision injured the driver and 18 passengers, none of them in life‑threatening condition, and prompted a helicopter evacuation. French officials said freight and Eurostar traffic continued after a brief pause. An investigation into the cause has begun, and Eurostar confirmed that its passenger services are unaffected.
A minibus carrying lorry drivers for the Le Shuttle service collided with a standing freight train at the loading platform in Coquelles, near Calais, at 19:27 GMT on Thursday. The bus driver and one passenger suffered serious injuries and were air‑lifted to the hospital; the other 17 passengers were treated at the scene with no life‑threatening injuries.
Local authorities said the freight and Eurostar train services were only briefly halted while emergency crews evacuated the injured. An investigation has been launched to determine how the crash happened.
Sub‑prefect Agathe Cury explained that the train was unloading heavy goods vehicles before departure, while the second train had already left. The minibus, still upright, collided with the departing freight train for reasons that are currently unknown.
The incident is the first of its kind at a Eurotunnel loading platform. Eurotunnel confirmed that the crash does not affect its passenger Eurostar trains, and all Eurostar services will run as scheduled.
Emergency crews were seen on the platform after the incident, and the scene was later documented in photographs taken by local newspapers. The channel tunnel operates under the English Channel between Folkestone in Kent and Coquelles, hosting Eurostar, freight, and Le Shuttle services.
