19 Injured as Bus Hits Train at Channel Tunnel, Le Nouvelliste Says
Nineteen people sustained injuries, including two in critical condition, when a minibus transporting freight drivers collided with a parked freight train at the French entrance of the Channel Tunnel in Coquelles on the evening of October 15, 2026, Le Nouvelliste reported.
Collision on the Vehicle Loading Platform
The accident occurred at approximately 19:30 on the vehicle loading platform within the Eurotunnel site, according to accounts from regional French outlets. Le Figaro reported that the minibus was carrying heavy goods vehicle drivers who were preparing to board a LeShuttle train designed to transport motor vehicles and passengers across the underwater link.
The vehicle reportedly came to rest on its side at a level crossing before the freight train struck it. A total of 19 individuals of various nationalities suffered injuries in the impact. The driver of the minibus, identified as an Eurotunnel employee, was among the casualties.
Emergency responders deployed substantial resources to the scene. A helicopter from the mobile emergency and resuscitation structure (SMUR), local firefighters, and border police responded to the incident alongside roughly one hundred Eurotunnel personnel. Officials transported two of the most severely injured victims to the hospital in Lille under emergency conditions.
Official Assessment of the Transport Disruption
Authorities confirmed that none of the victims faced life-threatening conditions despite the severity of the collision. Sub-prefect of Calais Agathe Cury provided details during a press briefing held outside the Eurotunnel headquarters in Coquelles around 22:30.
Agathe Cury stated that everything had returned to order at the level of traffic at the time she was speaking.
Operations for the LeShuttle service experienced a suspension lasting approximately one hour and thirty minutes following the crash. Cross-channel passenger services operated by Eurostar and separate freight train movements through the tunnel remained unaffected by the accident. Eurostar confirmed via a statement that no Eurostar trains were involved or delayed.
Judicial Inquiry into Involuntary Injury
Law enforcement sealed off the perimeter of the accident site while investigators began examining the circumstances surrounding the collision. The public prosecutor of Boulogne-sur-Mer opened a formal judicial inquiry under the legal classification of involuntary injuries.
The Channel Tunnel spans 50.5 kilometers and connects Coquelles in the Pas-de-Calais department to Folkestone in the United Kingdom. Operated by the company Getlink since opening in 1994, the infrastructure handles hundreds of freight and passenger train transits daily.