Channel Tunnel: Difference between revisions

In 1919, during the [[Paris Peace Conference, 1919|Paris Peace Conference]], British Prime Minister [[David Lloyd George]] repeatedly brought up the idea of a Channel tunnel as a way of reassuring France about British willingness to defend against another German attack. The French did not take the idea seriously and nothing came of Lloyd George's proposal.<ref>MacMillan, Margaret. "Paris 1919". Random House, 2002, p. 174, 194</ref>

 

 

In 1955, defence arguments were accepted to be irrelevant because of the dominance of air power; thus, both the British and French governments supported technical and geological surveys. A detailed geological survey was carried out in 1964–65.<ref name="halcrow-film-1964-65">{{Cite web|title=Channel Tunnel Site Investigation - 1964 - Halcrow Group|publisher=Halcrow Group|date=13 July 2011|url=http://www.halcrow.com/Who-we-are/film_archive/Channel-Tunnel-site-investigation-film/|accessdate=26 July 2011}} Online presentation of a 1964–65 film documentary of a geological survey of the Channel, with a brief summary.</ref> Construction work commenced on both sides of the Channel in 1974, a government-funded project using twin tunnels on either side of a service tunnel, with capability for car shuttle wagons. In January 1975, to the dismay of the French partners, the British government cancelled the project. The government had changed to the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] and there was uncertainty about [[European Economic Community|EEC]] membership, cost estimates had ballooned to 200% and the national economy was troubled. By this time the British tunnel boring machine was ready and the Ministry of Transport was able to do a {{convert|300|m|abbr=on}} experimental drive.<ref name="Wilson pp. 14–21" /> This short tunnel would however be reused as the starting and access point for tunnelling operations from the British side.