Eurotunnel reopening in February

Workers are finishing off repairs to the damaged section

The section of the Channel Tunnel hit by a fire last September will be reopened in three weeks, tunnel operator Eurotunnel has announced.

The part of the tunnel known as "interval six" will reopen in the early hours of 10 February, the company said.

High speed passenger service Eurostar said that from 23 February it would return to a normal timetable with all services operating at full speed.

Eurotunnel said the work was being completed well ahead of forecasts.

From 10 February, the number of departures for truck shuttles would be able to increase to six per hour in each direction, a spokesman said.

Eurotunnel chairman Jacques Gounon said: "I congratulate all those involved. This performance means we can restore the speed and ease of Channel crossings that make Eurotunnel a unique product."

Shorter journey times will encourage a further switch from plane to train in our fast-growing markets in the Midlands and north of England Eurostar chief executive Richard Brown

From 23 February, it would return to a normal timetable with all services operating at full speed.

There will be up to 19 services per day on the London to Paris route and up to 10 between London and Brussels.

In addition, a new direct Ashford to Brussels service will begin.

Eurostar chief executive Richard Brown said: "This is great news for our travellers, speeding up business trips and making leisure breaks to the Continent even more attractive.

"Shorter journey times will also encourage a further switch from plane to train in our fast-growing markets in the Midlands and north of England."

In the fire on September 11, 32 people were led to safety after a lorry on board a shuttle train caught alight about seven miles from Calais.

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