The project to design and build the new tunnel has received widespread plaudits with one such organisation the 'American Society of Civil Engineers' calling it 'one of the seven wonders of the modern world'. The tunnel itself is 31.4 miles long and features twin rail tunnels with a diameter of 25ft. It provides a rail link from Folkestone to Coquelles in France. The tunnel was opened in 1994 after construction was originally begun in 1987 with the 2 sides meeting each other in 1990. The 23.5 mile stretch under the Channel is the longest stretch of tunnel in the world that is actually beneath water. The tunnel is 250ft deep at its lowest point. Eurostar are the the company which run the trains from London to Paris and Brussels. The final costs of the tunnel were continually being rounded up and reached a figure of 8 billion pounds in 1995.

The tunnel was first seriously thought about way back in 1802 but British concerns over security issues prevented it ever getting off the ground. The next 70 years saw frequent proposals and ideas put forward and in 1875 the Channel Tunnel Company began preliminary trials.