Getlink

Getlink was officially born on 20th November 2017 when Groupe Eurotunnel underwent a corporate rebrand

Each year, Eurotunnel safely transports more than 20 million passengers, 1.6 million trucks, 2.6 million cars, two billion tonne-kilometres of freight and, eventually, one gigawatt of electricity.

Rebrand

Talking about the rebrand, Chairman and CEO of Getlink, Jacques Gounon, said: ‘With revenues of over €1 billion, an operating margin of fifty per cent and predictable cash flows up to 2086, Getlink has demonstrated the effectiveness and resilience of its economic model. It is on this same basis that we will continue to generate growth by offering our customers high value adding solutions’.

Summer records

Summer 2017 saw Eurotunnel set new traffic records for Le Shuttle Passenger service. With almost 564,000 vehicles carried over the period from 17th July to 3rd September, traffic grew by two per cent compared to the same period in 2016, which was itself a record year.

Beyond the traffic records, recent investments in the premium service, like the opening of the new Flexiplus lounge in France on 15th July are also bearing fruit with bookings for this category up by six per cent. In addition, Le Shuttle has seen Frequent Traveller bookings increase by twelve per cent.

Jo Willacy, Eurotunnel Commercial Director, said: ‘Our customer numbers continue to grow alongside their loyalty to our service. I can only thank them on behalf of all our staff for the confidence they have shown in us. The Le Shuttle frequency of departure and the speed of service are key factors in booking decisions.’

Innovation

In June 2017 the first stone of the future freight train scanner, the first of its kind in France, was laid at a ceremony held at Calais-Frethun freight yard.

The £5.7 million freight train scanner, paid for entirely by Getlink, will be sited on the national railway network following an agreement reached with SNCF Réseau. Operated by customs officers from the Douane, the only authority certified to use such material in France, the scanner will bring savings of several hours to the process of controls on trains heading for the UK via the Channel Tunnel.

The installation of this equipment will enable the control of up to 30 trains per day at a speed of twelve miles per hour, without stopping. In addition, the new scanner will considerably improve the efficiency of action to prevent smuggling.

Patrick Jeantet, Chairman and CEO of SNCF Réseau, stated: ‘Our specialist teams will work closely together to install this scanner. SNCF Réseau has made space available and will modify equipment to accommodate this innovative solution which will considerably improve cross Channel traffic flow.’

Traffic growth

On 28th April 2017 Eurotunnel inaugurated the first of three new, third generation freight shuttles. With the boom in the digital economy and the concentration of cross-Channel traffic onto the shortest routes, particularly in light of environmental concerns, the market for Eurotunnel’s Le Shuttle Freight is set to continue its growth over the coming years.

In response to this demand and to reach its objective of transporting two million trucks in 2020, Eurotunnel has invested £36 million to acquire three new, 800-metre-long freight shuttles, each made up of 32 carrier wagons, three loaders and a club car for the truck drivers. Made to order by WBN Waggonbau Niesky GmbH for Eurotunnel, and benefitting from the latest developments in technology to ensure energy efficiency, strength and reliability, these three new shuttles will strengthen the existing fleet and bring an additional twenty per cent capacity, enabling Eurotunnel to offer up to eight departures per hour.