The Channel Tunnel Safety Authority is an international regulatory body responsible for safety in the
Channel Tunnel
The Channel Tunnel (french: Tunnel sous la Manche), also known as the Chunnel, is a railway tunnel that connects Folkestone (Kent, England, UK) with Coquelles ( Hauts-de-France, France) beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover ...
.
The CTSA was established by the
Treaty of Canterbury. It advises the Intergovernmental Commission on safety matters, and ensures that safety rules in the Channel Tunnel are in line with prevailing safety laws.
The CTSA has five members from
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, and five from the
UK; leadership alternates annually.
After safety rule changes which would permit
Eurostar
Eurostar is an international high-speed rail service connecting the United Kingdom with France, Belgium and the Netherlands. Most Eurostar trains travel through the Channel Tunnel between the United Kingdom and France, owned and operate ...
to use German-made
Siemens Velaro
Siemens Velaro is a family of high-speed electric multiple unit trains built by Siemens and used in Germany, Belgium, France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Spain, China, Russia, and Turkey. The Velaro is based on the ICE 3M/F high-speed ...
rolling stock, the French government dismissed their delegate to the CTSA, and brought in a replacement.
See also
*
European Railway Agency
The European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) is an agency of the European Union (EU) that sets mandatory requirements for European railways and manufacturers in the form of Technical Specifications for Interoperability (TSI), which apply to the ...
*
1996 Channel Tunnel fire
The Channel Tunnel fire of 18 November 1996 occurred on a train carrying Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) and their drivers through the Channel Tunnel from France to the United Kingdom (UK). The fire was seen on the train as it entered the tunnel and ...
*
2008 Channel Tunnel fire
On 11 September 2008, a France-bound Eurotunnel Shuttle train carrying heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) and their drivers caught fire while travelling through the Channel Tunnel. The fire lasted for sixteen hours and reached temperatures of up to . ...
References
External links
The Channel Tunnel intergovernmental commissionDevelopment of the Channel Tunnel safety case
{{Coord missing, France
Safety Authority
Railway safety
Transport safety organizations