A report published by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch makes it clear that press reports regarding the actuation of the tunnel’s AFSS were inaccurate.
The only firefighting activity was by the French fire team and the report suggests that it took more than three hours to bring the fire under control.
The fire completely consumed two trucks that were being conveyed on the shuttle, and caused damage to rolling stock, railway infrastructure and the tunnel lining. It also severely disrupted services through the Channel Tunnel for several days.
The reported water damage was therefore entirely due to the fire team intervention.
Following previous fires on commercial vehicle shuttles, the tunnel’s owners installed SAFE stations in two areas in each running tunnel. Each SAFE area is approximately 870 metres long and fitted with a water mist system that is designed to control a fire on a stationary train. On the 17 January the train affected had already passed the second SAFE area when it stopped.
BAFSA in common with other organisations had called for a full local application AFSS in the tunnel
The report is at: www.raib.gov.uk/publications/c … nnel_update.cfm
