2010-02: EuroTunnel: rail freight falls are not our fault
EuroTunnel, operator of the Channel Tunnel, has defended itself against accusations that rules governing the tunnel's use have stifled the growth of rail freight in the UK and across mainland Europe.
Last week it emerged that just 1.18 million tonnes of freight moved through the tunnel by rail in 2009, a fall of 5% compared with 2008.
DB Schenker Rail had blamed high tolls and complex rules on the tunnel's use for a lack of tonnage growth on rail freight, but a spokesman for EuroTunnel says it is "the responsibility of rail freight operators going through the tunnel" to increase their share of the freight market.
