Channel Tunnel, Kent

The Channel Tunnel, also called the Euro Tunnel or Chunnel, actually consists of three tunnels. Two of the tubes are full sized and accommodate rail traffic. In between the two train tunnels is a smaller service tunnel that serves as an emergency escape route. There are also several "cross-over" passages that allow trains to switch from one track to another.

Shown here is the point at which the railway lines go underground just east of the Ashford terminal. Trains roar through the tunnel at speeds up to 100 miles per hour and it's possible to get from one end to the other (31 miles away) in only 20 minutes! In the first five years of operation, trains carried 28 million passengers and 12 million tons of freight through the tunnel.

The Chunnel