Cross-Channel hauliers face a six-hour blackout tonight as LeShuttle Freight suspends all truck shuttles between Calais and Folkestone from 23:14 (local) on Saturday until 06:14 Sunday. The pause allows French and UK emergency services to stage a full-scale bi-national safety exercise inside the tunnel—a mandatory rehearsal held every two years.
Impacted services. The last departures will be at 22:14 (Folkestone) and 23:14 (Calais). Both terminals close completely, although Calais Truck Village remains open for drivers caught on the French side. Passenger shuttles and Eurostar passenger trains are not affected but may run at reduced speed while rescue teams are in the tunnel.
Mobility impact. For supply-chain managers the closure falls on a low-volume weekend slot but still overlaps with just-in-time deliveries for Monday production lines in northern France. Automotive and fresh-food operators should pre-advise plants and retailers of possible knock-on delays, while customs brokers need to re-schedule ENS/ICS filings. Drivers aiming for the last train are told to check-in at least 60 minutes early or risk a seven-hour hold-over.
![Eurotunnel Freight Link to Shut Overnight 24–25 Jan for Franco-British Safety Drill]()
Travel documentation note. Cross-Channel fleets employing non-EU drivers should double-check that the necessary UK and Schengen visas are in order. VisaHQ can arrange fast, trackable applications online and even courier processed passports to depot offices—see https://www.visahq.com/france/ for details—helping operators avoid paperwork hang-ups when unexpected schedule changes like tonight’s tunnel exercise arise.
Policy backdrop. The exercise tests new joint-command protocols introduced after the 2025 Channel Tunnel Safety Authority review, which gave France’s border police wider powers to halt trains if clandestine entry attempts trigger an evacuation.
What’s next? Normal freight frequency—up to 4 departures per hour—is due to resume by 06:30. LeShuttle warns of residual queuing on the A16/A20 approaches and has activated diversion signage at Junction 12 of the M20 in Kent.
Impacted services. The last departures will be at 22:14 (Folkestone) and 23:14 (Calais). Both terminals close completely, although Calais Truck Village remains open for drivers caught on the French side. Passenger shuttles and Eurostar passenger trains are not affected but may run at reduced speed while rescue teams are in the tunnel.
Mobility impact. For supply-chain managers the closure falls on a low-volume weekend slot but still overlaps with just-in-time deliveries for Monday production lines in northern France. Automotive and fresh-food operators should pre-advise plants and retailers of possible knock-on delays, while customs brokers need to re-schedule ENS/ICS filings. Drivers aiming for the last train are told to check-in at least 60 minutes early or risk a seven-hour hold-over.
Travel documentation note. Cross-Channel fleets employing non-EU drivers should double-check that the necessary UK and Schengen visas are in order. VisaHQ can arrange fast, trackable applications online and even courier processed passports to depot offices—see https://www.visahq.com/france/ for details—helping operators avoid paperwork hang-ups when unexpected schedule changes like tonight’s tunnel exercise arise.
Policy backdrop. The exercise tests new joint-command protocols introduced after the 2025 Channel Tunnel Safety Authority review, which gave France’s border police wider powers to halt trains if clandestine entry attempts trigger an evacuation.
What’s next? Normal freight frequency—up to 4 departures per hour—is due to resume by 06:30. LeShuttle warns of residual queuing on the A16/A20 approaches and has activated diversion signage at Junction 12 of the M20 in Kent.
