LeShuttle services halted for ninety minutes after platform collision
LeShuttle suspended for ninety minutes after the loading platform collision.
Event / Disaster
Channel Tunnel Loading Platform Collision
A minibus carrying truck drivers collided with a stationary freight train at the Channel Tunnel's French loading platform in Coquelles on October 15, 2026, resulting in 19 injuries. The incident marked the first accident of its type since the tunnel's opening in 1994.
1 reported locations
Daily activity
2 articles0 articles
2026-10-16 to 2026-10-27 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 16 Oct, 09:07 UTC
Follow the documented timeline or explore the related reporting.
What happened
Minibus collides with freight train at Channel Tunnel loading platform
A minibus carrying truck drivers who were preparing to board a LeShuttle railway shuttle collided with a freight train that was stationary on a loading platform at the French side of the Channel Tunnel. The minibus struck the shuttle train for reasons that were initially unknown. The minibus did not overturn during the collision.
LeShuttle service suspended for one and a half hours following collision
The collision on the loading platform caused an interruption to LeShuttle vehicle shuttle service for approximately one hour and thirty minutes. However, Eurostar passenger train services and freight train operations through the tunnel were not impacted by the accident.
Emergency response deployed to Channel Tunnel accident site
Emergency services including a helicopter from the mobile emergency and resuscitation unit (SMUR), firefighters, and border police responded immediately to the collision. Approximately 100 Eurotunnel employees also assisted at the scene, which was secured by authorities.
First accident of its type on Channel Tunnel loading platform
According to the Calais sub-prefect, this collision marks the first time an accident of this type has occurred on a loading platform at the Channel Tunnel site since the facility's opening in 1994. A criminal investigation was opened into involuntary injuries.
19 people injured in Channel Tunnel minibus-train collision
The collision at the Channel Tunnel loading platform resulted in 19 injuries of various nationalities, including the minibus driver who was an Eurotunnel employee. No life-threatening injuries were reported. Two individuals required emergency transport to Lille hospital, while 17 others were taken to closer medical facilities. Foreign consulates were notified of the injured.
Read the coverage
2 alternative perspectives
Minibus and freight train collide at Channel Tunnel loading platform
Minibus-train collision at Channel Tunnel injures 19 people in first platform accident of its type.