Eurotunnel’s owner sees passenger numbers soar despite delays

​The UK heatwave last month saw scores of holidaymakers face delays en route to France, but they made it across the channel in the end, helping the Eurotunnel owner to toast passenger growth on Thursday.

Getlink, the new name for the firm which runs the Channel Tunnel, said 314,995 passenger vehicles used Le Shuttle during the period. That was up 3% on a year earlier, and the second-best traffic for July since the ending of duty free in 1999.

Growth came despite disruption, with delays and queues for the Eurotunnel in Folkestone as the owner grappled with the failure of some air conditioning amid high temperatures.

A spokesman for Getlink said today: “The heat caused some wagons to be removed from service for passenger comfort and there were some delays over the peak getaway weekend, but all booked passengers did get to France.”

He added: “In reality, less than 200 day trips were refunded on one day, to protect holidaymakers and families who were on their way to France.”

The company also cheered a 6% bounce in the number of trucks transported, helping Le Shuttle Freight record its best July.