Travel Departures: Channel war
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.EUROTUNNEL says there will be no cut-price special offers for its Le Shuttle car- carrying service when tickets go on sale on 12 January. Le Shuttle's passenger sales director, Neil Cooper, says that, with a frequency of only two Shuttles an hour in each direction when the service opens in May, it will not be necessary to offer discounts.
With space for up to 180 cars for each shuttle, compared with the new breed of jumbo Channel ferries which can carry up to 600 cars, the Eurotunnel service will initially have a relatively limited capacity. Even when the service increases to four an hour by the end of August, it will still barely match the capacity of either the Stena Sealink or P&O ferries from Dover to Calais.
However, Le Shuttle claims that by 1996 it will have captured 50 per cent of all cross-Channel traffic, carrying around 15 million car passengers annually. Mr Cooper said that fares would be charged per car, regardless of the number of passengers and the vehicle's length.
Stena Sealink this week launched a pre-emptive strike on the Channel tunnel by introducing an Apex fare for 1994 that will offer a fifth off normal tariffs. On the Dover-Calais route, the Apex fare will cut the price of a five-day return for a car and five passengers to as little as pounds 70 in the off-season and up to pounds 160 in the summer peak, a saving of pounds 72.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments