The Centre's history

In 1802, engineer Albert Mathieu designed the first-ever major project, rumoured to have sparked Napoleon Bonaparte's interest. He wanted to dig a tunnel comprising two superimposed underground highways, one of which would be open to stagecoach traffic. The following year, an Englishman by the name of Henry Mottray suggested the idea of a sunken tunnel, made of assembled metal sections.

From 1830 onwards, with the arrival of steam trains, the first railway-related ideas came up. Thomé de Gamond spent thirty years of his life working on such a project. In 1855, he plotted the route for an underwater tunnel going from Cape Gris-Nez to East Wear Bay.

The idea returned in 1978. On November 30th, 1984, the French and British governments agreed on a study consulting private entrepreneurs regarding the building and operation of a fixed cross-channel link, and using no public funding. The study was launched in March 1985, and by October 31st, four serious proposals were examined.


The Eurotunnel project won the day in early 1986. The Tunnel Treaty was signed on July 29th, 1987, opening the way for work to begin.


Open since May 6th, 1994, the Channel Tunnel takes travellers across the Channel in minutes, at a top speed of 140 kph, under whatever weather conditions and 365 days a year.


From Coquelles to Folkestone, this system links up British and European road networks via "Eurotunnel" railway shuttles. At peak periods, a passenger shuttle departs every 15 minutes, representing a capacity of 4,000 passengers per hour.

As part of the construction of Eurotunnel's French terminal, France Manche and Channel Tunnel Group asked Espace Expansion Company to build the Cité Europe Shopping Centre, which was inaugurated on March 21st, 1995.